The red rose and the wolf
by Desteny star
Summary: *Sequel to Asher* Rosenrod grew up never knowing his father personally, all he knew were the stories told by his family and how people always remarked how he looked like him. Regardless he grew up good and had a wonderful life till an evil threatened to destroy it all. With the help of an over friendly wolf Ross embarks on a journey to save Arendelle and maybe find his lost father.
1. Chapter 1

_**Authors note: Finally! After a long over due wait, it is my greatest pleasure to present to you... (Drum roll) The red rose and the wolf! The long awaited sequel of The Asher.  
**_

 _ **I was going to wait a bit more as the Asher is currently being revised and revamp, but decided against it, if there is any changes will let you all know. But for now please enjoy a good read and remember to review when done!**_

 _ **Summary:**_

 _ **Rosenrod grew up never knowing his father personally, all he knew were the stories told by his family and how people always remarked how he looked like him. Despise this his life was good as it was full of laughter, joy, loving family and a mother who loved him more than anything else. Soon this life is disrupted and Rosenrod (aka Ross Red) is dragged into a mystery that needs to be solved to save the kingdom of Arendelle from a tyrant who was long though of dead. With the help of a large and over friendly wolf whom Ross named Fenrir and his fateful albino pet raven named Munnin he embarks on a quest which will change his life forever and maybe help him find his long lost father.  
**_

* * *

 _ **Arendelle:**_

Time passed, the kingdom did not seem to have changed, if you ignore the huge walls which now surrounded Arendelle palace. It was large and vast, impenetrable and always patrolled by armed guards 24/7.

Why the wall was there? It was because of the heir of Arendelle whom had been born a year ago, while the reason why the babe was referred to as heir rather than crown prince or princess was very simple, nobody knew anything about the babe, not even if the heir was a boy or a girl or even the babes name, it was a huge mystery as people wondered why the heir was kept so hidden and out of sight.

Rumors were sprung up about the reasons why, the baker though that the child had been born with some kind of horrible defect or mental illness, but this did not seem likely for as far as people knew both the mother Queen Elsa and his father the late consort King Hans did not have any history of illness.

The vendor though that the reason why the child was never seen was because he or she had been born with magic just like his/her mother, this theory seemed likely but it would not explain the reason why to hide the child as everybody knew and accepted her mothers magic, so why would she fear about them not accepting the child's ability to do magic?

Finally the a scholar came up with a theory which seemed very likely, he suggested that the reason the baby was kept that way was probably because he/she looked so much like the late father that the Queen would want to protect the baby from any harm...including them...

This theory people believed and it brought great sorrow as it reminded them what their actions caused.

It was their fault the child was fatherless, for if they had not let fear cloud their minds they would have seen how they were manipulated by the council whom wanted to get rid of their kind consort.

Truly a tragedy which not only left them without the kindest consort they ever had the pleasure of having, but also it froze the queens heart when she learned that it was because of them that her husband was dead. True she did not punish them and was very fair with them, but her treatment towards them became very cold, icy and distant to the point that they had not seen her since her announcement of being pregnant when the palace gates were closed.

So when the news surrounded that the gates would be open for a Christening party people were glad as they hoped not only to be able to go to a nice party but to finally see their lovely queen again and hopefully get a glimpse of her child...the heir of Arendelle.

* * *

Servants frantically went in and out of the palace as they set up the palaces courtyard with many tables, cloth of white and blue, cups and plates along with food and drink followed by a huge cake with many layers and frosting.

Looking out the window Elsa was confused, she had agreed for a Christening party to be made for her son, but it was to be a private party where only close relatives would attend so why were so many tables and chairs being set up.

Closing the curtains Elsa turned and walked to the crib where her son now one year and a couple of months old was, the babe had bright red hair which would put even the reddest rose to shame, his eyes bright green, his skin most unusual as it was completely covered in freckles, there was not a single part of the babes body which did not had freckles on it, probably a result of him spending too much time out in the sun or maybe it came from his bloodline. Regardless Elsa did not mind, while others seem to.

Like the a wife of a councilman, she once made the terrible mistake of suggesting some home made remedies to get rid of her babies freckles, upon hearing it Elsa lost her temper and blew the woman away with a strong arctic wind which lead the woman to fall backwards unto a pond. Since then nobody dared to speak or even look at the child wrong in fear of "waking up the mother dragon".

The baby looked up at her, speaking in that baby language which were broken words of things she could never fully understand he held his hand up to show her a ball of fire which he had been playing with it.

Elsa frowned at that before taking out a tiny pair of gloves which she had been holding and placing it on the babies hands, as soon as they were placed the flame vanished, the baby cooed as he looked around as if wondering where his "toy" had gone.

There was that...his unusual fire magic, where it came from Elsa had no idea, but she wondered if it was because she had magic or if it was because of her wish.

She remembered it very well, before baby was born she had made a wish, she wished for a little boy who looked like his father and had warmth, that was what she got.

She got her baby, her little prince Rosenrod who looked to be exactly like his father and had warmth which was his fire magic.

"Should have been more careful with what I wished for" though Elsa as she ran a single finger through his hair, Ross turned to her, his little baby face broke into a smile before he cooed and laughed, holding out his arms towards his mother.

"Rosenrod" said Elsa with a smile as she reached and took her baby, holding him close.

Her child, her little prince Rosenrod, the only person in the world whom she loved more than life itself and the only one who could bring her happiness.

True there was her sister Anna, but she could never compare to her child, since his birth he always came first in Elsa's mind and heart, nothing else was more important than her child.

Looking up Rosenrod or Ross for short cooed, his little fingers touching and poking her cheek, Elsa laughed as she kissed his head then walked out of the room.

The servant scurried about, nearby was a man dressed in a nice blue coat, his hair was tied in a low pony tail, glasses on his tired blue eyes as he was busy scribbling away in a book.

"Lars" said Elsa as she walked over,

"Queen Elsa" said Lars bowing his head towards her,

"Lars...its Elsa and please don't be formal around me" said Elsa then added "What is going on?",

"Preparing for the guest...your sister invited a huge number of guest" said Lars as he twirled his feather a bit,

"Who is coming?" asked Elsa, for a moment she wondered if it was that Karen was coming with her husband and his family and entourage.

"Not many people" said Lars hesitating as he did not want to answer,

"Lars" said Elsa with a warning tone,

Fearfully Lars handed her a page, upon taking and reading it Elsa's face turned red with anger before she yelled "ANNA!", turning around she ran down the hallway in search of her sister.

"Elsa!" said Lars as he ran behind her, hoping to stop her in case she decided to kill Anna with her bare hands. Of course he knew Elsa would never do that, but he hoped she would take it easy on Anna.

* * *

"Left...no...little bit more...now to the right" said Anna as she was busy giving instructions to Caleb and Kristoff who were hanging some banners and lanterns through the courtyard so they can be used as sources of light during the night.

"Make up your mind woman" muttered Caleb quietly as Anna in his opinion was being too picky while Anton and Jurgen were busy piling some presents onto a table which was designated to hold whatever gift Ross might get.

"ANNA!" they heard, the yell so loud it almost made Caleb fall off of the ladder that he was standing on.

Looking the group stared between fear or not as an angry Elsa walked in,

"Hi Elsa" said Anna as she knew she was in trouble,

"What is this I hear about you inviting those people and all of Arendelle?! I did not agree to it when I assigned you to plan Ross Reds Christening" said Elsa, ice danced around her dangerously.

"Well...you did not say that I could not" said Anna backing away from her angry sister,

"Anna! You promised me a small party" said Elsa,

"And it is! Its barely..." said Anna, but shut up when Elsa still looked angry,

"Elsa I think" began Caleb after he composed himself,

"Stay out of this!" snapped Elsa loudly making the brothers cower, even Ross who upon hearing his mothers tone began to whimper.

Hearing his whimper made Elsa calm down and began to sooth her baby, frowning Anna walked over and said "Elsa...I know your angry at them...I am angry too even to this day...I know you want to protect Ross...but is it worth making him live a life of loneliness and isolation?".

Elsa said nothing, she knew Anna was speaking sense and it was true, she did not want Ross to suffer the loneliness and isolation she did, but she did not want him to suffer the fate which befell his father, just thinking of the possibility of her baby being hurt or worse killed brought dread inside of her...if something would have happened to her baby she would not know what to do.

"Elsa" said Anna,

"Alright...but let them know that if anything happens I will attack" warned Elsa,

"No need your highness, if there is any funny business they will have to go through us before they even get to you and Ross" promised Anton,

"Thank you" said Elsa forcing a smile before turning and leaving, once gone Caleb said to Anna "I know you mean well, but you need to take it easy on your sister, she is still mourning even if she does not look like it",

"I know...I was just trying to help" said Anna sighting,

"We understand, but his death was hard on us... it was especially hard on her, you cannot blame her for being overprotective of Ross, he is the only thing that reminds her of him" said Caleb,

Neither he or his brothers or Anna or Kristoff or anybody liked talking about what happened to Hans, the memory of it deeply embedded in their minds and even bodies, as the brothers ran towards the flames to try and save their brother. The scars remained just as their guilt and the what if's.

True Thumbelina told them that he was alive...somewhere...and that he would return but he had yet to show up and as time went on they became convinced that he was dead and would never return. Anna sighted then decided to turn her attention back on the party to make sure it was perfect.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note:**_ _ **Hello again and again I apologize for the long wait. Hope this beginning was everything you all hope to be. Please review and stay tuned for the next chapter as when the party starts there will be a lot of cameos and references to other stories and disney films along with a visit of two surprising guest that neither Elsa or Anna knew existed.  
**_

 _ **Fun fact: Rosenrod is Norwegian for red rose, though Ross will be called Ross or Ross Red for short.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Guest: Sorry, cannot say what will happen. But what I can say is that Hans is alive and he will come back at some point.**_

 _ **Yubima-chan: If you like that then you will like the rest.:) The story will have a lot of funnies and fluffies. :) Nice! I would like to see the collection. I am sorry for your loss my friend. I wish for you all the happiness in the world. :(**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter so please sit back, relax, enjoy a good read and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

"Why are we doing this?" asked a messenger to his helper as they approached a dark foreboding castle of ice, why did they had to invite this person, who was surely a witch who could very easily kill them they had no idea, but sadly they had to follow orders and give this person the invitation.

"Because we get pay to do this" said his helper with fear,

"Not enough for this" said the messenger before the two finally decided to approach the ice castle, but as soon as they took a step foreword there was a rumble as two snow covered hills stood up. For a moment the two stared in shock as the mounds stood up and turned to face them to reveal they were huge scary monsters, ice spikes coming out of the monsters snow bodies they roared.

"I am getting out of here!" yelled the messenger as he dropped his bag and ran away with helper following close behind, in about five minutes the two were long gone and the monsters calmed down seeing they managed to scare off the intruders. Noticing the bag one of the two monsters bend down and picked it up with its thumb and pinky finger before lifting it up to his eye sight, to get a closer look.

"Snow cone, what do you have there?" asked a musical voice, turning Snow cone noticed the woman who was now standing on the balcony, she was fair skinned, blond hair picked up in a bun, had a form fitting silvery white mermaid style dress with a long train and a high collar adorned with a snowflake.

Saying nothing Snow cone handed the woman the brown leather bag, holding it she looked over it before spotting the crocus crest which adorned the buckle of the bag, "Hum, Arendelle" she said before opening the bag and noticing it was full of the same letters, taking one and dropping the bag to the ground she turned and walked into the castle, her castle specifically.

Walking pass the halls and some ice sculpture gardens she entered her designated study before opening the letter and reading it, her eyes widen as she read the content.

* * *

The day of Ross christening was coming fast, there was only two weeks left and as far as Elsa knew all the preparations were made, all that was left was for the guest to show up. Upon seeing the list in all honesty Elsa almost had a panic attack at the amount of guest, not only had the surrounding nobility was going to come, but also some rulers, their families and who knows who else, then there was the fact that the entire magical communities had been invited.

This one she understood, her husband before his death often expressed that he had wanted to try to mend bridges with the magical community, for the most part Elsa agreed and supported his endeavors such as setting their territories as protected sites, but in the end she wished she had not agreed. It was this that turned the council against Hans as when the deal was signed the council could not access the rich materials and wood found in those areas, so they considered to get rid of him, by any means necessary.

Elsa sighted, she had wondered all the what ifs, what if she had done something about it sooner, what if she had never left on that trip, in the end it changed nothing. What happened happened and no amount of wishing or thinking was going to change it.

"HEY!" she heard, curious she left her study and poked her head into the library where she saw Jurgen and Lars playing a game of cards, Ross was standing on the tipoff his toes, trying to see the game and maybe something else.

"Your cheating" accused Lars as he pointed a finger at Jurgen,

"Me? Why I never would cheat" said Jurgen trying to sound as if he was outraged at the accusation, but was failing as he could barely suppress the smirk which was growing on his face,

"Your using Ross to tell you what cards I have" said Lars not amused,

"Me? DO you think I would be so low as to use my sweet and innocent nephew to cheat?" said Jurgen overdramatically as he reached and took Ross into a hug and held him,

"Yes" said Lars deadpanned,

"Well I never!" said Jurgen only to shut up when Ross pointed at some of the cards Jurgen had, the same ones Lars had. Caught red handed Jurgen turned scarlet red while Ross looked very proud of himself as he though that he had succeeded in helping out his uncle.

"You were cheating!" said Lars as he saw the undeniable proof,

"It was just a lucky guess, you know, baby luck?" said Jurgen, exasperated Lars looked at Ross who was now confused, looking between the two as he was trying to figure out what was going on, with a sight Lars said "Ross, don't help your uncle cheat".

Covering her mouth Elsa tried not to laugh as she watched the scene unfold, the brothers had their disagreements now and then, but not too bad, quite frankly most of the time it was quite comical. Composing herself Elsa walked over, letting her presence known, seeing her the two ended their disagreement and quickly stood up, bowing at her presence while saying at the same time "Queen Elsa",

"Its Elsa please" said Elsa as she walked over and Ross from Jurgen, realizing she had seen them squabbling like two kids in a playground Jurgen asked quickly "So when are the guest arriving",

"Soon hopefully" said Elsa then remarked playfully to them "I just hope you keep your disagreements to a minimum",

"Yes your majesty" said Lars and Jurgen, shooting a glare at one another when Elsa had turned around and left, only to stop when they heard bells, somebody was coming.

* * *

A most unusual sight made its way to Arendelle, a sled made entirely out of ice and fur pulled by a dozen albino reindeer, ice covered the trail as they made their way to Arendelle. As they approached town people stopped and stared, for a moment they were wondering if it was their Queen Elsa, only to realize she was not, the woman was taller and older than their queen which made them wonder who she was.

Stopping the sled in front of the palace gates the woman looked up to the gate before she stood up, her coachman who was made out of ice got up and moved to the side, holding out his hand, taking it the woman got out of the sled gracefully and walked to the gate as it was opened, her eyebrows raised a bit as she found Queen Elsa standing there with some guards, who looked quite nervous at her.

Not afraid or anything the woman strolled over with the elegance of a queen before nodding her head and saying "Queen Elsa" then reaching into the folds of her ice cloak she pulled out and invitation and said "I am most thankful for your invitation",

"Your welcome, I am sorry but I did not catch your name" said Elsa nodding her head but still tense as she did not know who this woman was,

"My name, yes" said the woman who then proceeded to answer "I am Snow queen Ingrid", this made everybody gasp in surprise.

There was another snow queen?

* * *

Loud steps were heard through the halls as a young silvery blond hair boy ran, stopping and looking around he quickly duck behind a tapestry as a winded out Gerda looked around and called out "Thomas, get out here right now!", covering his mouth Thomas tried to hold back his chuckles, he always liked to play hide and seek, even if the game was one sided.

Frustrated Gerda left down a different hallway before the boy who was called Thomas left the tapestry, laughing a bit while he though to himself "That was fun", turning he walked away intending to go to the kitchen but stopped when he heard,

"Your a Snow queen" he heard, curious he followed his hearing to a door, pressing his ear to the door Thomas listened in,

"I am the snow queen Queen Elsa" said the voice,

"Okay, if you are, I have to ask, why was your name written on the list of people my husband knows?" Thomas heard his auntie Elsa say,

"He... wanted me and my sister to reconnect" said the voice,

"Reconnect?" asked another voice, his mother Anna,

"I will explain when my sister Helga shows up, but for now, where is your husband? I have not heard of him after a while", there was silence for a bit before auntie Elsa said "He is no longer among us",

"Oh, I am sorry" said the voice "He was a good man",

"Thank you... he was",

"So, where is your son? May I see him?" asked the voice, curious as to who the voice was Thomas opened the door and walked in, when he did everybody looked at him quite surprised,

"Ah, this must be your son" said the voice, it belong to a strange woman he had never seen before.

* * *

The door opening made Elsa, Kristoff, Anna, Ingrid and Franz look to see Thomas walk in, before they could say anything Ingrid spoke "Ah, this must be your son", walking closer she patted on the boys head gently making him laugh a bit "He is cute",

"Queen Ingrid, that's not" began Elsa,

"I see he got his looks from you" continued Ingrid "Not that there was anything wrong with how your husband looked Queen Elsa".

This tended to happen every so often, whenever guest or nobility arrived to stay in the castle in rare occasion upon seeing Thomas they though that he was Elsas son, not that she blamed them as Thomas could pass off as her son with his silvery blond hair, blue eyes and snow white complexion, he also inherited her ice magic, but he was not her son, he was Anna's and many times it was a chore to explain to everybody that Thomas was her son not Elsas,

"Your majesty, this is my son" Anna said as she quickly moved over and herded Thomas over to where Kristoff was standing,

"Oh, my apologies, I though he was your son" said Ingrid as she gestured to Elsa,

"Its alright, it happens a lot" said Kristoff as he placed his hand on Thomas shoulder,

"As for my son, I rather you not see him till the party" said Elsa as she did not feel comfortable having strangers around Ross, she knows it has to happen eventually but her overprotective side was screaming at her to keep him as close to her and away from other people as humanly possible. Ingrid stared, at that moment realized just how overprotective Elsa was about her son but nonetheless accepted her wishes.

"As you wish" she said with that she turned around and left with a call "I will see you at the party"

* * *

The day of the party had arrived, people gathered at the gate, patiently and excited for the doors to open. While inside in a private chapel the christening was held, it was surprisingly simple, yet beautiful, though it was supposed to be a happy day, for Elsa it was not as the though that constantly plagues her head was how she wished Hans was there, how they should be there together, to watch their son be christened.

When the priest finished his prayer and blessing Ross was christened, surprisingly he did not cry which was something Elsa had secretly hoped for, then again he had been fussing all night so his quietness was probably a result of not having enough sleep the night before.

With Ross back on her hands Elsa sighted, the easy part was over, now began the part she dreaded the most...

The christening party... and yes, she was not eager for it, in fact she wanted to just end it right then and there, but did not as she knew Anna had put in a lot of though and effort when preparing the celebration and because of that Elsa did not have it in her heart to stop the party and let all her sisters hard work go to waste, so with much reluctance she allowed the events to go on without any interruptions.

* * *

Intimidated, that was what people first felt as when the gates opened the first people they encountered were the 10 De Mointeiun brothers or the Arendelle Knights as they were dubbed, they stared, hidden under their elaborate suits the civilians were willing to bet that they were armed to the teeth, ready to attack if a threat came to their family.

They were led to the palace garden which had been set up for the party with a large dance floor, tables for them to sit, silverware and plates to eat out off, large piles of food were set up buffet style and a large cake with blue and green frosting for desert, once they arrived at their assigned seats they sat and waited.

The area got more and more crowded as... unusual guests... showed up, there were fairies, will o wisps, nisse, fossegrimen, trolls and many, many more. A lot of the guest grew nervous as those, creatures, arrived, though were not surprised that they showed up as it was well known that their late consort protected them and their territories, so it would have been expected that they would showed up.

Once everybody was in their place Kai, Queen Elsas most faithful Stewart, walked to the center, the only area that there was no tables, standing there he cleared his throat and spoke "Their esteemed royal guest, King Frederic, Queen Arianna, Crown Princess Rapunzel, Consort crown Prince Eugene and their children Prince Elios and Princess Lunette",

Just as he spoke that from another part of the garden walked in the Corona royals, King Frederic and Queen Arianna walked hand in hand, despite all the years they were still very much in love with one another, behind them walked Rapunzel and Eugene, Rapunzel held Princess Lunettes hand while Eugene held Elios hand, Lunette smiled happily while Elios looked like he rather walk by himself.

The people admired the children as they were really lovely to look at, the 2 year old girl wore a small version of her mothers dress but in a lavender color and had some gold embroidery on it, her hair was a dirty blond which was in lovely curls that framed her face and brown eyes, her brother wore a green suit that brought out his dark brown hair and made his green eyes look even greener, he did not seem to like suit though.

Walking they were sat in a special table which was where the Arendelle family would sit,

"Their esteemed royal highnesses Tsar Nicholas Romanov and Tsarina Katarina Romanov" announced Kai, soon in walked Nicholas aka Rothbart, over time he had changed, now though he was still a firm man who ran his country with a firm hand, he was much kinder and fair now, he wore a traditional Russian imperial coat, dark pants and boots, Katarina or Karen was most impressive as she wore a royal white and gold Russian dress complete with a pearl tiara.

They walked close and sat on the table where Caleb gave Rothbart the "I am still watching you" sign, he had not liked that Karen married Rothbart, but was willing to tolerate him for Karens sake as Rothbart has proven that he indeed loved Karen dearly.

"King Eric and Queen Ariel with their daughter princess Melody" announced Kai making the guest look puzzled as they wondered why did they accepted an invitation, regardless they admired the beautiful couple, Queen Ariel wore a beautiful green dress that complemented her well, wearing a matching outfit was Eril who held her hand, walking next to them was their daughter Melody who wore a pink and white dress, her black hair arranged in a nice bun decorated with pearl pins.

Once they sat down Kai announced "Snow queen Ingrid and the spring witch Helga" again more surprise as a woman, who looked similar to Elsa walked with grace and poise, her dress most impressive with a long train and a high collar, next to her walked another blond woman, but her hair was more golden than Ingrid, her dress was pink and decorated with embroidered flowers that complemented the hat she wore. The two quietly took their seats before Kai announced the next guests

"Now their royal highness Princess Anna of Arendelle with her consort prince Kristoff Bjorgman" said Kai, in walked Anna, still giddy as ever as she waved to the crowed while Kristoff walked next to her arm in arm before taking their seats.

The peoples anxiety and exitment grew as at that moment they knew who was coming next.

* * *

"He will look so cute in this" cooed Gerda, the old maid smiled as she held out an outfit which consisted of a white starched shirt, a charcoal vest, dark blue pants and small shoes,

"Why listen to her? I have better taste in fashion, he would look much better in this" said Gerdas sister Gull as she held out an outfit which was a little sailor suit that was dark blue with purple lines, white pants and shoes,

"Uhg that looks awful, are you trying to torture the poor boy?" said Gerda,

"More like trying to save him from your lack of taste" said Gull and soon the two began to quarrel, Elsa covered her mouth as she watched the two argue like a bunch of school girls while Ross looked on not really knowing or understanding what was going on before settling to chew on his mothers necklace out of boredom.

"Your majesty which one would please you the most?" said Gerda as she and Aggy finally decided to let the queen decide.

Elsa stared between the two, in reality she could not decide as she did not want to hurt either one of their feelings so she though before smiling as she came up with an idea.

* * *

"Queen Elsa Margrethe Solberg of Arendelle and her child crown Prince Rosenrod Lykke Solberg- de Mointeuin of Arendelle" announced Kai.

All the attention was placed on Elsa as she walked in quite elegantly, yet cold, she wore a long sleeve teal and blue dress with a sweetheart neckline and a purple cape trailing behind her, in her arms held a small toddler. The first thing the crowd noticed about Rosenrod was his appearance, it was obvious who the child would end up looking like when he was older.

At that moment they realized that the theory proposed by the scholar was fact.

Taking a seat she was followed by the Arendelle knights and their wives who sat in the same table, once sat Elsa made a hand sign, it was time for the feast to start.

Once it started there was no stopping, the party was lively, there was plenty of food and dancing, though they were not allowed close to Elsa or Ross who was always attached to his mothers hip though they were allowed close enough to take a good look.

The child cooed and looked around though he was not sure what was going on.

"Hey look who is growing like a weed, soon he will be a very handsome young man...not like me...but a close second" joked Eugene as he walked over, Ross laughed as he recognized uncle Eugene and reached for him,

"Yes he is" said Elsa holding Ross close as he squirmed a bit.

"Here is our favorite nephew" cooed Arianna as she, Rapunzel and Frederic walked over.

"I almost forgot how cute babies were" cooed Rapunzel "Makes me want to have more",

"Ahem well maybe...not now" said Eugene flustered,

"Yes ahem..." said Frederic as he held out a box "A little something for Ross".

Opening it revealed a set of plates, bowls and silverware. Very tiny, perfect for Ross.

"Thank you" said Elsa as Gerda took the gift and set it aside.

With that they chattered till Katarina aka Karen and Rothbart walked in,

"I am glad that you both made it" said Elsa,

"Would not miss it for the world" said Karen as she reached and stroked Ross cheek, he giggled and held unto her finger happily.

"He looks...good" said Rothbart not wanting to open old wounds.

"He does" said Elsa,

"We brought a gift..hope it's alright..." said Karen as she held out a bejeweled and gold porcelain egg clock,

"Their all the rage in my home" said Rothbart,

"Thank you" said Elsa as it was placed with the rest of the presents.

After chattering and receiving gifts Elsa turned as she left the party and entered the palace, once inside she breathed a sight of relief, the whole time she was at the party she was on high alert, suspicious of everything and everybody, her body became so tense with worry and fear she barely took a proper breath. But was proud of herself, she made it, the party was not canceled, nobody was hurt, her baby was safe and now she can relax a bit.

Wiggling a bit Ross squirmed before letting out a yawn, smiling at that Elsa kissed his forehead before saying "You could use some sleep" with that she made her way to Ross nursery.

Usually babies were given their own nursery after the baby was a couple of weeks old, but not Ross, he had just recently gotten his own nursery and it was at Anna's and the rest insistence, but Elsa did not feel comfortable with having Ross in another room where she could not keep an eye on him, what if something happens to him? Or worse!

Anna even Caleb and Lars asked her to loosen that overprotectiveness she had on Ross as they were sure that she was going overboard, but she could not help it and in her defense they would be acting the same way if they were in her shoes.

With a sight Elsa arrived at the nursery, it was probably the most elaborate decorated one in all the castle as her cousin Rapunzel had spent about 3 weeks painting it from top to bottom, the result was beautiful as it featured a beautiful night sky with stars, constellations and the moon and each wall was painted to be a different season, a beautiful winter, a colorful spring, bright summer and a windy autumn.

Elsa admired them for a bit before she set Ross down on his crib, already he had fallen asleep, bending down she kissed his forehead gently before walking away, hesitating at the door before she walked away.

Three hours passed before the door open again, the creaking noise made by the door woke Ross up, tired he turned to see Ingrid had walked in, sitting up he stared at her as she walked over to the crib.

For a moment she just stood there, starring before she bend down and pick Ross up. Holding him close she ran her hand through his head and hair before she turned to walk away from the crib.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: CLIFFHANGER! LOL sorry could not help it. What will happen next? Y**_ _ **ou will have to wait and see...so please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next chapter as we may have an epic battle on our hands.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Dreamsandimaginations: They try, there is not much they can do as Elsa is queen and their basically not royalty anymore.**_

 _ **Yubima-chan: Don't worry, nothing bad will happen. :) In all honesty Russian fashion does not change much, Karen wears the clothes of Russian court (A dress similar to what Princess Anastasia Romanovs mother wore)**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

 _With a sight Elsa arrived at the nursery, it was probably the most elaborate decorated one in all the castle as her cousin Rapunzel had spent about 3 weeks painting it from top to bottom, the result was beautiful as it featured a beautiful night sky with stars, constellations and the moon and each wall was painted to be a different season, a beautiful winter, a colorful spring, bright summer and a windy autumn._

 _Elsa admired them for a bit before she set Ross down on his crib, already he had fallen asleep, bending down she kissed his forehead gently before walking away, hesitating at the door before she walked away._

 _Three hours passed before the door open again, the creaking noise made by the door woke Ross up, tired he turned to see Ingrid had walked in, sitting up he stared at her as she walked over to the crib._

 _For a moment she just stood there, starring before she bend down and pick Ross up. Holding him close she ran her hand through his head and hair before she turned to walk away from the crib._

* * *

Ross cooed softly as Ingrid carefully picked him up from where he lay. Cradling him gently in her arms, she took a seat by the window, gazing at him with familial love. As she stroked the infant prince's freckled cheek, Ingrid could not help but crack a smile when he reached out and grasped her hand with his tiny ones.

She could tell that he was curious and brave, eager to explore and learn – all in all, a good sign.

"You're barely a year old, and I can already tell that you're special," she hummed as she watched Ross wriggle into a more comfortable position. With a gentle hand, she brushed his auburn tufts. "Do you like stories?"

Ross stared up at her, green eyes glinting inquisitively. "Wowy?"

"Yes," Ingrid smiled, her expression warm with nostalgia. "Would you like to hear it?" Seeing no objection, she decided to proceed with her tale. "Now, how should I start…? Ah, yes… Once upon a time, there were three sisters, and they loved each other very much…"

* * *

Sitting down Elsa looked over some letters which had suddenly piled up on her desk, she sighted as she knew what it was and it was what she feared, the rulers and nobles of other countries had already started to make a line to see if they could get her to agree to a marriage between one of their daughters to her son.

Grabbing the letters she tore them up and threw them on the trash, over her dead body would she allow such a thing, her son will have the freedom to choose who he wants to be with... when the time is right of course as he was far too young to worry about such things.

When done she was satisfied but then jumped when Thomas ran into the office and yelled "Aunty Elsa, a stranger in Ross room!",

"What?" asked Elsa,

"Stranger" repeated Thomas before he almost fell to the ground when Elsa ran out of the office in complete panic, ice grew on the walls as she ran through the halls before she arrived to Ross nursery, almost tearing the door open she felt her heart drop when she saw Ingrid holding Ross. The two looked at her, Ingrid looked calm but Ross looked puzzled.

Elsas first instinct was to throw ice at Ingrid for touching her son, but did not as she knew that if she did she might hurt Ross so she restrained herself and growled "Give me back my baby", saying nothing Ingrid got up and calmly walked to Elsa. Immediately handed Ross over to her without a spoke word.

When Ross was in her arms Elsa began to check on him, he had no bruises, no signs that Ingrid did anything wrong, on the contrary, Ross seemed quite happy,

"Queen Elsa there is something-",

"Get out" interrupted Elsa coldly,

"I... pardon?" asked Ingrid confused,

"I want you out of this palace!" said Elsa now louder, angrier,

"Why? I did nothing wrong" Ingrid baffled,

"Yes you did! You put your hands on my child without my permission! Without me being there! You could have stolen him from me for all I know!" growled Elsa angry,

"I would never do that, especially to you" said Ingrid outraged at her accusation,

"How can I trust your word!? You are nothing to me!" snapped Elsa,

"I am your aunt" said Ingrid, at that moment Elsa stopped her angry words and stared in silence, completely shocked at what Ingrid said.

* * *

As per Ingrid's request, the entire Arendelle Royal family, along with Caleb and Lars, discreetly rendezvoused in Elsa's study to discuss this newfound relationship between the Royal Sisters and the two fairy women.

Never one to beat around the bush, Ingrid was the first to speak. "Were you aware that your both your sons are magic users?" she asked, shifting her gaze from Elsa and Anna to Ross and Thomas, who were happily playing with a ball, oblivious to the tension brewing in the room.

"Yes, but I don't see what that has to do with our late mother," said Elsa.

The older blonde sighed. "We had hoped that your mother would have at least told you about us; but then again, considering what happened the last time we saw each other, we can't exactly blame her."

"What do you mean?" Anna asked them. "And how do you know our mother?"

"How could we not?" Helga replied. "She is our sister after all… Or at least she was until she chose your father over us."

Elsa gaped in disbelief. "I'm sorry, what?" And looking at her sister, she could see that Anna shared her sentiments. There was no way that their mother would ever abandon her family just to elope with a man. She was far too loving and prudent to do something like that.

"Allow me to explain," said Ingrid. "For centuries, the name Solberg has inspired much fear and hatred among the Fair Folk, and rightfully so. In their greed and lust for power, they destroyed numerous magical enclaves, killing many of our brethren for fear that we might usurp the throne for ourselves.

"When your mother fell in love with your father –a direct descendant of the Solberg family– we gave her an ultimatum: Were she to marry him, she would no longer be welcome in our community, forever shunned by her own kind. And should we happen to cross paths, she would be seen as nothing more than a stranger to us. Yet despite these conditions, she chose your father and married him, severing her ties with is forever."

Once Ingrid had finished, everyone could only stare in shock. It was no secret that Agnarr had launched a campaign against Arendelle's Fair Folk several years back, but while they that his intentions had been based on the misguided notion for the greater good, no one knew of the Solberg family's dark history of magical genocide.

"I don't what to say…" Elsa whispered, ashamed and appalled by her ancestors' cruelty.

"Don't worry about it," Ingrid assured her. "It's all in the past now. As long as it never repeats itself, we are willing to forgive and start over with a clean slate."

"But wait, if Iduna had been banished and left you on bad terms, why did you wait until now to come to Arendelle?" Lars asked, confused.

"You have to thank your brother for that," Helga replied. "A few years ago, he was able to track down our location through some of his liaisons among the Fair Folk, and there, he convinced us to bury the hatchet and meet you." When she spoke again, they could hear a slight quiver in her voice. "At times I wish I would have done it sooner… But our pride… Our foolish pride…"

Ingrid wrapped a comforting arm around her surviving sister's shoulder. "There, there… It's all right…" Then turning to her nieces, she said, "But like I said, both your sons are special, even more so with young Rosenrød."

"Wait, what?" they chorused.

"Well, first things first, they're the first males in 200 years to be born to our branch of the family," Ingrid explained. "In fact, they're the first male magic users to come from our lineage. For you see, only women in our family had access to magic whilst the male descendants did not."

"But why do you say that Ross is more special Thomas?" Anna asked. She did not mean to sound so petulant, but no mother ever wanted to hear that her child was inferior to that of someone else's, especially if the other child was a close relative. "I mean, you said it yourself, they both have magic."

"That is true," Helga clarified, dabbing at her eyes with a floral print handkerchief, "But what sets Rosenrød apart from Thomas is not his magical aptitude, but rather, the type of magic he has. For centuries, magic users from our family have specialized in ice or earth magic, along with the occasional wind or transmutation magic, but this is the first time that a scion of ours has had access to fire magic. It's quite baffling, really."

Upon hearing this, everyone peered over at Ross, who was now giggling to himself as he waddled after his cousin. The scene itself was so completely mundane, it was hard to imagine that the child wielded any form of magic, let alone fire magic. And given that his abilities were not genetic, that brought up yet another question: Where in the world did it come from?

Just then, Elsa noticed Caleb glancing at her. Offended by his accusatory expression, she growled, "If you even dare to insinuate that I had a paramour while I was away, I'll turn you into an ice block!"

"As if I would do such a thing!" he denied, crossing his arms.

"Don't you lie to me!" Elsa shouted. "I can see it on your face as plain as day. I would never cheat on Hans! Ross is proof that– he is his father's son through and through!"

"I...You say that, but what do we know?" he retorted.

"Caleb!" Lars gasped, horrified by his brother's behavior.

She raised a brow, challenging him directly. "Is that so?" she asked. She strode over to Ross and picked him up. She then took off his left glove, revealing a colored patch of skin shaped like a bird. "Then tell me, how is it possible that another man would have the same birthmark as my husband and my son?"

Caleb was about to protest, but the more he thought about it, he realized that Elsa was telling the truth. It was impossible for two people to share the same birthmark unless they were related, and according to Lars, that birthmark which Ross had was called the Mark of the Phoenix and it has been the associated with their family for centuries, manifesting among individual relatives of extraordinary character. Hans had been one such person, and judging by the mark on his palm, so was Ross. The child really was his father's son.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty," he said, bowing his head in shame, "In my grief and anger, I have forgotten my place." Elsa merely nodded, acknowledging his contrition, but the damage had already been done.

"Anyway, thank you so much for opening up to us," Anna said, in an attempt to lighten up the now-heavy atmosphere. "It really cleared the mystery as to why my sister, son, and nephew had these powers."

"No problem," Helga replied, "We're family after all. And speaking of which… There was yet another reason as to why we came."

"What is it?" Elsa, who had calmed down considerably, asked.

"If you'll allow it, Ingrid and I would like to serve as Ross' godmothers," said the Spring Witch. "However, the decision is entirely up to you. Should you decline, we understand."

'Now there's a thought…' The truth was, Elsa had already chosen Rapunzel and Eugene to be Ross' godparents, but there was no harm in including Helga and Ingrid as back-up godmothers. While parenthood had definitely matured her cousins, there were times that Elsa found their child-rearing techniques far too avant-garde for her taste.

"Very well, I approve," she said.

But just before she could go further into detail, there was a knock at the door and it creaked open to reveal the chief steward Kai. "Your Majesty, your presence is required at the audience hall," he announced.

"What's the matter?"

"There's a group of people who insist on meeting you," he replied, "But they're… Uh… I think it's best if you come see them for yourself."

* * *

When the royal family and their companions arrived at the audience hall, they were greeted by the sound of a language unlike any that they had heard before. It had a tonal, syllabic quality to it, and it was being spoken in a very fast-paced, almost aggressive manner by a trio of very peculiar-looking people.

The group consisted of two men and a woman, and though all three of them were dressed in the latest Victorian fashions, their appearance and mannerisms indicated that they were not native to Arendelle or anywhere else in Europe. They had pitch-black hair; dark, almond-shaped eyes; and their otherwise pale skin had a yellowish tinge to it. Most tellingly, all of them, including the woman, bowed upon seeing the queen and her family.

"Thank you for receiving us, Your Royal Majesty," they chorused in heavily-accented English. "Your graciousness knows no bounds. May your reign be long and prosperous."

"Er, thank you," Elsa replied, rather taken aback by the overly formal greeting. "And you are–?"

"Oh a thousand apologies, Your Majesty!" exclaimed one of the men – a lanky, bespectacled fellow with a boisterous demeanor. "We're emissaries from the Imperial Chinese Embassy in London. Given your husband's history with my siblings and I, we were under the impression that he may have told you about us." He cleared his throat and bowed again. "My name is Li Dongzhu."

His brother – a stern, taciturn man, spoke next. "They call me Li Shuangsong."

"And I am Li Xuemei," said the woman. "And together, we're known as the Winter Siblings."

"Winter Siblings?" echoed a confused Anna.

"Yes. In the Mandarin language, our names have a winter theme," Shuangsong explained. "My name means 'frosty pine', my brother's is 'winter bamboo', and my sister's is 'snow plum'."

"How very interesting…" Ingrid mused.

"So how exactly do the three of you know my husband?" Elsa asked.

"Well during his time as an admiral of the Coronan navy, he and his crew were assigned to Shanghai to establish a Coronan concession there," said Xuemei. "At the time, I was an interpreter for the Imperial Contingent. Dongzhu served as a doctor for the concession's residents, and Shuangsong, worked with your husband to protect the area from criminal elements."

Now that the other woman mentioned it, Elsa did recall Hans mentioning about having have met an enterprising set of triplets in one of his voyages; and she did recall him including them in his guest list for the christening of their then-hypothetical child. Based on their appearance and their familiarity with him, the trio standing before her had to be them.

"By the way is that your son?" Dongzhu inquired, noticing the babe in Elsa's arms. "He is the spitting image of his father."

"Speaking of which, where is Hans?" Shuangsong added. "It's been a while since we last heard from him."

Upon hearing his name, everyone fell deathly silent.

"Is something the matter?" Xuemei asked, noticing their somber expressions and the sudden change in atmosphere.

"It's just that…" Elsa swallowed thickly at this. "Hans is no longer among us. He died… ... roughly around two years ago."

The Li Triplets were shocked and saddened by this unfortunate news. "We're sorry to hear that," Shuangsong whispered, looking very much abashed.

"It's alright… Just…" Elsa's grip on Ross tightened ever just so slightly as she tried to keep her emotions in check. "Just enjoy the festivities." Without another word, she hurried out of the room.

The moment Elsa left, Anna whirled towards Caleb, and without warning, she punched him with such a vicious uppercut that she knocked him flat on his rump.

"Ow! What was that for?" he demanded as he nursed his now-aching jaw.

"That was for being an insensitive boor," Anna growled, looming over him like a bat out of hell. If looks could kill, Caleb would have already been dead a thousand over. She cracked her knuckles, the sound threatening, ominous. "I suggest you watch your tongue. Hurt my sister like that again and I will personally end you."

Utterly cowed, he nodded meekly. Hans' death had taken its toll on everyone, but it seemed to have brought out the worst in him. He had really crossed the line there. He just prayed that he wasn't regressing to the spoiled princeling that he once was.

* * *

Elsa strode down the hall towards the master bedroom with quick, deliberate steps. By the time she made it in, she was practically hyperventilating and her vision was blurry with unshed tears. She knew they meant no harm, but every time someone asked of Hans' whereabouts, it served as a constant reminder that he was no longer around, and it hurt.

However, what pained her the most was not his death , but that sense of hope that he might have survived his execution. Everyone claimed that they had seen the flames engulf him as he was being burnt at stake, but there had been no trace of him left afterwards, not even a single grain of ash. Then there was Thumbelina's report that Hans had been spotted alive somewhere out there. The newly-appointed Fairy Queen was not one to lie, but if it was true, why hadn't he returned by then? Did he even want to return? To come home to his wife and child?

'No, stop it! Hans isn't like that!' she berated herself. But everything that had transpired so far was too much for one woman to bear. Her anger, her sadness – it was swallowing her whole. In her grief, she was being bombarded by a myriad of emotions all at once and it was like pit of quicksand from which she could not escape.

With shaky footsteps, she went to Ross' crib and set him down. "Mama?" he asked, staring at her with wide, inquisitive eyes. She willed herself to smile at him, albeit wanly, and kissed his forehead. She then made her way towards the wardrobe in the far corner of the room and flung its doors open.

Said wardrobe had been designed for a married couple, and inside Elsa could see coats and suits that Hans used to wear. Reaching up for one of the coats, she pulled it off from where it hung, stroking it as she lost herself in the comforting texture of the soft cotton fabric. Absently, she pressed her nose into it, taking in the lingering scent of the soap and cologne Hans used, and it was right then and there that the dam finally broke. After almost an entire day of holding it in, she finally allowed herself to cry.

"Mama…" she heard Ross call, jolting her of out of her melancholy. She wiped away her tears and inhaled deeply in an attempt to regain her composure. So lost was she in her grief that she had nearly forgotten that she was in the presence of her son – Hans' final gift to her.

'Conceal, don't feel. Put on a show.' She had not done that since she was a child, but she had to be strong, not just for Ross, but for her sake as well. She was a mother, but she was also a queen. She could not afford to show weakness.

* * *

It was close to midnight when the festivities finally ended. Just before the guests left for their home, they gathered before Elsa, pledging their loyalty to the queen and the crown prince. They sent their best regards to Ross, wishing him a long, happy, prosperous life, and all the while Elsa thanked them profusely, grateful that the party had ended in a high note.

But beneath that gracious, smiling façade, darkness was brewing. 'It's all a sham,' Elsa told herself as she tried to staunch the anger that was bubbling from within. Her husband had been nothing but kind to them, and they had the gall to execute him because of some baseless rumors. If they could do that to their own king, it only proved the likelihood that they could do the same to the queen and crown prince at any given time.

After everyone had left, Elsa then made her way to nursery to check on her son. Peering down into the crib, she found Ross sound asleep, tuckered out by the day's events. She smiled tenderly, admiring his serene visage before reaching into her pocket to pull out a jeweled locket.

Wrought by merfolk craftsmen, it was a gift to Ross from her friends, King Eric and Queen Ariel, the latter of which was once a mermaid princess from the undersea kingdom of Atlantica.

Elsa traced the ornament's intricate design before clicking it open. As she did so, there was a dim glow as soft, soothing music began to play, followed by an astral projection of Arendelle. It truly was a gift most magical as the projection displayed was not merely a replica, but a reflection of the kingdom's current time and weather conditions, as shown by how the sky shifted from day to night.

She then set it down next to Ross and ran a gentle hand through his auburn locks. "Sweet dreams, my darling angel," she murmured. With that, she left and went to bed.

 ** _To be continued..._**

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Hopefully this explains a bit more of why Elsa acts how she does and why she is so overprotective. Because to be honest you cannot fully blame her for it. Any way, hope you all enjoyed it and stay tuned for the next one, which I promise will be full of fluffies and funny moments for your enjoyment. :) But for now please leave a review (If you want you can drop off ideas of what funny things you want to see happen or funny moments) and stay alert for the next update. :)**_ _ **  
**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Authors note: More funny and fluffy moments await for you to read my readers. It will be like this but at the same time you will all learn more about whats going on and will set the stage and ambience for the events to happen in the future.**_

 _ **yubima-chan: Then you will love those to come. :)**_

 _ **Any way, hope you all enjoy it and please review when done as your opinions are important so I can make the best story possible. :)**_

* * *

Sunrise, it always promised a new day, new beginnings, happiness and hope, hope for something better. Hope, it was all that Elsa had left, well not all that she had left. Loud squeals woke Elsa from her sleep, in the past she would sleep in, her husband was the early riser, but now she found her sleep schedual was always changing depending on her sons sleep. Some nights she would stay wide awake, holding and comforting Ross as he cried through the night for unknown reasons, then there were mornings he would be up before her, like right now.

Slowly sitting up Elsa rubbed her eyes before she turned to Ross crib, since he got his own nursery Anna and the Hans brothers had been trying to get her to let him stay there rather than continue to sleep in her room, but her guess they allowed it this time because of Caleb's insensitive comment.

That was emmidiatly forgotten the moment she looked at the crib, she let out a scream, Ross somehow had climbed out of the crib, holding unto it he squirmed and moved before letting go. Reacting Elsa shot snow on the ground creating a soft pile which Ross landed on.

Squealing happy Ross began to play in the snow while Elsa looked like she was about to have a heart attack, getting up from bed she walked over and picked Ross up,

"Wow (Snow) Mama, Wow" said Ross pointing at the snow,

"Yes... its snow" said Elsa breathing as she tried to calm down, constantly reminding herself that Ross was a baby and did not know any better. Ross giggled and hugged Elsa, she smiled a little and held him close before getting them both ready for the day.

* * *

"Your a jerk you know that!" growled Jurgen as he and the other brothers confronted Caleb for what he said to Elsa the day before,

"I am sorry! How many times do I have to say that!" snapped Caleb,

"We should rip your tongue out right now for what you said!" yelled Ludwig,

"You have no right! You have said worse than me before!" Caleb yelled,

"Alright I admit I said a couple of curse words, called some women wenches before, but that was before and I never said anything as disrespectful as you did yesterday!" yelled Ludwig.

As the brothers fought Anton stood back and plotted, he had wanted to find a way to punish Caleb, sure he could have told his wife what he did, but that was too boring, so his mind hatched a plan which will not only serve as payback, but also some nice entertainment. Saying nothing he strutted over, the brothers argued not noticing him till it was too late.

With quick movement Anton snapped one handcuff on Caleb and the other on Ludwig, they were handcuffed together,

"What tha?!" yelled Ludwig, tugging on it Caleb growled "Very funny Anton, now let us go",

"Sorry, but..." with that he turned and ran, Caleb yelled as he ran after Anton, while dragging Ludwig with him. It was a well known fact that Ludwig and Caleb did not get along, Ludwig was a jokester who never took anything serious while Caleb was the polar opposite, so the two being handcuffed together was the worst thing that could happen to them. Of course Anton knew hence why he choose this punishment as payback.

* * *

Cooing softly Ross was in the playroom with Thomas, holding a block he continued to coo as he traced the letter on the block then proudly holding it up he said "Bu, bu, bu",

"That's a b Ross" said Thomas laughing, Ross laughed then the two looked as the door opened and Caleb and Ludwig walked in, tilting his head Thomas noticed and asked "Why are you two stuck together?",

"Long story" groaned Ludwig as he rubbed his forehead,

"Thomas, Ross, have you seen Anton?" asked Caleb eager to find Anton,

"No" said Thomas shaking his head, Ross also shook his head no,

"Then have you two seen a key?" asked Ludwig, it was a long shot, but he hoped the two might have seen something. Thomas again said no, but Ross well... he got up and walked away, the two adults watched, for a moment feeling happy that they would soon be free, but unfortunately that hope dropped when Ross walked back in, holding a key... well... a drawing of a key he apparently made.

"No Ross no" groaned Caleb,

"On the bright side, at least he knows what a key is" said Ludwig making Caleb groan more.

* * *

Taking a seat Elsa looked at the ambassadors and rulers, this was the first time in a long time all of them were under the same roof discussing potential trade deals and such, yet as they spoke Elsa could not ignore the huge tension there was between her, King Frederick, Queen Arianna, Rapunzel and Eugene. Truth be known it was not her choice to make Rapunzel and Eugene Ross godparents, she was forced and their relationship had only gotten worse after Hans death.

It was as clear as day that they blamed her for his death, they may not say it, but their actions speak louder than words. They may be family by blood, but that was all that connected them, the real bond they had was with Hans, their godchild, the one who was their light of hope when their daughter vanished, the selfless person who was willing to die than betray them and his country.

Even though she did not order Hans death or had anything to do with it, they still blamed her for in their minds if he had not married her or fallen in love with her he would have still been alive. True they did not say it, but their actions did and their admitting at Hans "funeral" spoke of their secret hatred of her.

"If you were not pregnant right now we would have led a war against you" said Frederick that time "You better pray that it is his child or else not even God will save you from our wrath".

She squeezed her hand into a fist, she knew why they were skeptical at that time, it had taken five years before she was able to get pregnant with Ross, while the council and the nobility blamed Hans for her not conceiving, Corona blamed her saying that "The cold inside of her was killing off any child" whether it was true or not Elsa did not want to know, regardless there not being an heir gave the council and nobility an excuse to try and convince her to as they called it "trade up" , to find a more "suitable" husband, it did not matter that Hans was born royal, that he had connections, the peoples support, no all they focused on was the fact that he had been a servant once.

Closing her eyes Elsa breathed in an attempt to calm as she tried to forget about that day and focus on present matters as she mentally though "Conceal, don't feel, put on a show".

* * *

While Caleb and Ludwig were busy Ross snuck away, his mother had left him to play with Tommy, but he did not want to play with him, he wanted to play with his mother so with that in mind he went off to find her.

With steps still unstead and slow he decided that crawling would be faster as he went around, hoping to find her. Finally he did, she was inside a room with Bla bla bla bla bla that was all that Ross heard as he sat down under a long table as his mother was busy with some other nobles discussing some trades.

Happy to find her Ross crawled towards the table and under it, moving pass the many skirts and shoes he arrived at his mothers skirt.

Reaching he tugged on the skirt before he proceeded to pulled himself up to her lap.

* * *

Elsa froze as she felt a tug on her skirt, looking down she saw Ross pull himself up to her lap.

Laughing softly she helped pull Ross up to her lap, once there he lay his head against the side of her neck, little hands and arms wrapped around her neck as he got comfortable.

Smiling she held unto him then her eyes widen as she realized something...

"Excuse me, lets take a quick lunch" said Elsa.

Once the meeting was halted Elsa got up and left while holding Ross.

Arriving to her room she sighted when she placed Ross down to reveal that he had accedentally melted the bust of her ice dress.

"Ross" groaned Elsa as she turned and got dressed... in a non ice dress while Ross cooed confused.

As she got dressed a scary though entered her mind, her ice never melted before, but... was it possible that Ross and Thomas were stronger than she was?

She had heard that the new generation was usually stronger than the old one, but she was not sure as she was not an expert in that subject, she could ask Lars, but he was not there at the moment as he had left early in the morning to get something, something important.

When she finished dressing she now wore a nice purple dress, similar to what her mother once wore, it was one of her favorites as it was quite comfortable and soft. As she went and picked Ross up she heard a knock on the door. Walking over she opened the door to find King Frederik standing there,

"King Frederik" said Elsa tensely,

"Queen Elsa" said Frederik nodding then gestured "Can I come in? There is something I must ask... not not ask... demand of you". Saying nothing Elsa moved aside letting Frederik through so they could talk in private.

* * *

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note:**_ _ **Uh ho... what does Frederik want? I would say but it would be a huge spoiler. For now I hope you all enjoy it and please review and stay tuned for the next chapter.  
**_

 _ **Fun fact: In this au despite the fact that Elsa and Anna are Frederiks and Ariannas nieces, they do not fully consider them family as they never got to bond or anything with them. While they do see Hans as family as he came into their lives and was there for them through the dark times when they lost their daughter, bringing them some form of comfort, hope and happiness, so they do see Hans more as family while Anna and Elsa are strangers to them. This is why Frederik and Arianna act so coldly towards Elsa as they do secretly blame her for his "Death".**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Authors note: I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter so please sit back, relax, enjoy a good read and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

It was common knowledge that babies cried. They cried when they were hungry. They cried when they were tired. They cried when they were sick, and they cried when they were scared or sought attention. Usually, their crying could be remedied by having their caretaker address any of the aforementioned issues, but there were times when a baby would cry for no reason at all.

Just like now.

For the greater part of a week, the Crown Prince Rosenrød had been crying constantly and incessantly. It was loud and shrill and it was driving the residents of Arendelle Castle mad. All attempts to calm him down had been fruitless so far, and the only time he quieted down was when he fell asleep, worn down by his own crying. Even so, his slumber had been sporadic and when he woke up, the cycle would begin anew.

"Help…" Anton called as he shuffled into the parlor where his wife, brothers, and in-laws were gathered. In his arms was a squirming, screeching Ross whose face was as red as his name suggested.

A collective groan rose from other de Mointeuins. Having had to deal with a fussy baby for five straight days, they were physically and mentally drained. Regardless, they went over to attend to their nephew for their love for him outweighed their own fatigue.

But despite all the affection they had for Ross, not a single one of them were really well-versed in childcare. Most of Hans' brothers were bachelors, and the ones who had married were childless, and therefore neither they nor their wives had any experience with children. Meanwhile Caleb and Theresa, who were parents themselves, bordered on the clueless as the former had always handed Karen off to be raised by nannies, and the latter had constantly been too sloshed to properly care for her stepdaughter, something that they both regretted deeply. Still, for the sake of their nephew, they had to try.

"He has mucus running out of his nose," Jürgen observed.

"That probably means he's sick," Henrik put in. "Do you suppose he caught a cold?"

Gertrude put her hand on the infant's brow. "I don't think so. He doesn't seem to have a temperature," he said after a while. "Maybe he's hungry."

"I don't think so," Anton told them, "Elsa just fed him not too long ago." A cold sweat began to form on his brow as he braced himself for his next words. "My guess is that he soiled himself."

As soon as he said that, an argument broke between the de Mointeuins as they tried to push the responsibility of changing Ross onto someone else. As much as they loved Ross, cleaning up his messes was one task they preferred to avoid. The very sight of his dirty diapers made them queasy, and he had the tendency to suddenly piddle whenever they were changing him.

"Alright, ENOUGH!" Caleb boomed, annoyed by this loutish display. "Why are even squabbling like a bunch of unwashed savages? We're aristocrats, for Christ's sake! We should approach this dilemma like the dignified, civilized adults that we are."

"Oh?" Ludwig asked, glaring at him pointedly. "And what do you expect us to do, oh Wise One?"

"We draw lots," Caleb declared as he walked up to a nearby vase and pulled out the flowers nestled in it. "Whoever gets the shortest stem has to do it."

After a bit of deliberation, it was agreed that Caleb did drive a fair point. Praying for luck to side with them, the brothers and their wives each drew a stem.

Ultimately it was Daniel, the twelfth brother, who wound up with the shortest stem. Silently cursing his ill luck, he walked over to Ross and gingerly peeled his diaper away. Much to his relief, the boy was clean, but that still did not explain why he was so upset.

"Maybe he needs to be rocked to sleep?" Erik suggested as they refastened the diaper onto the now-kicking Ross.

"I'll do it," Ludwig volunteered.

"For the love of God, NO!" everyone cried.

"Yes, don't!" Franz piped up. "I've heard you sing before and you sound like an animal who needs to be put out of its misery."

"Hey! I'm not that bad," Ludwig shot back, looking quite affronted.

"Of course you're not," Anton replied.

"Thank you–"

"You're far much worse!" he finished, cringing visibly. "Listening to you sing is like staring straight into the face of death."

"Oh, it's on now!" the tenth prince snarled as he threw off his coat and rolled up his sleeves. "You wanna fight?"

"Knock it off!" Theresa hollered as she stepped between the two men and took Ross out of Anton's arms. "Can't you see you're upsetting the poor boy even more?"

"Sorry," the chorused, looking quite abashed.

"You should be!" she hissed, glaring at them pointedly. She gently bounced Ross in another attempt to calm him down. "There, there little one… Did those two tontos upset you?"

"Honestly, this is ridiculous. It be a lot more bearable if Lars was here to help us out," Ludwig muttered. "Of all the times for that egghead to go off on one of his study trips…"

"You know it's important for him," Caleb told him. "At least, he'll be back today, assuming all went well."

"To be honest, I blame Duke What's-his-face," Franz said with a disgusted snort. "Ever since that old coot came here, poor Ross has just been miserable. Coincidence? I think not."

Erik barely suppressed a laugh at that. "What's-his-face? I thought his name was Weseltown."

"I'm pretty sure it was Weaselton," Søren piped up.

"It's Weselton," Caleb corrected, sighing exasperatedly.

"Well, whatever his name is, the man's a royal pain," Franz grumbled, "It's a miracle that Elsa and Anna can put up with that crotchety old codger."

* * *

Elsa could feel her calm façade cracking as she listened to the Duke of Weselton rant on about the blatant disregard for royal protocol. It began when Anna, who was supposed to accompany her, had been called to attend to Thomas. The poor boy had figured in an ice-related accident, but the Duke found the excuse unacceptable and it only got worse from there. What was once a simple trade negotiation had devolved into a one-man tirade.

If Elsa could have had her way, she would have ditched this meeting as well. For as long as she had known him, she had found the Duke to be an insufferable, overbearing busybody. All ever he did was to criticize everything under the sun and meddle with everyone's personal affairs. Every now and then, he would bring up the topic of potential suitors either for her or her son, which irked her to no end.

The very idea of it disgusted her. It was clear that the duke was merely acting on own personal interest as whoever won her hand through his recommendation would reward him richly. Furthermore, when she married Hans, she had vowed to stand by even in sickness unto death, and that was a promise she intended to keep. She knew that if it had been the other way around, Hans would have done the same.

"Duke Weselton, I hope you don't mind, but is it alright if we took a short recess for lunch?" she asked rather cordially. "We can continue our discussion afterward."

"Very well," said the Duke, clicking his pocket watch shut. "It seems to be well past the lunch hour anyway."

As the Duke made his way back to the guest quarters, he happened to cross paths with a familiar face that he recognized as one of the twelve former princes of the Southern Isles. He had heard of how the surviving Westergaard royals fled to Arendelle, changed their surname, and found favor with the Royal House of Solberg, even lending their services to the crown; but their days of being the dominant power were now long gone.

After the downfall of the Southern Isles' monarchy, the Westergaard Dynasty had become anathema to the other royal houses, a stench among the ruling families of Europe; and the loss of their power, influence, and wealth meant that the surviving members now meant less than nothing to the Duke.

' _Reduced to a lowly babysitter_ ,' he said to himself as he noticed the other man's haggard expression and the screeching infant he was carrying. ' _What a fall from grace it must've been_!' He quickened his pace, praying that the other man would just pass him by.

But it was too late. The man carrying the baby had already spotted him and was beaming like crazy. "Oh Kai, thank goodness there you are!" he called, sounding rather groggy. "Could you please be so kind as to hold Ross for a moment? I just need to fetch some of his toys from his room. Thanks!" And before the Duke could even protest, he thrust the baby into his arms and hurried away down the hall.

' _What nerve to not recognize an aristocrat of my standing_!' fumed the Duke. ' _He shall pay for his insolence_!'

"And what are you crying on about?" he snarled at the baby he was now carrying, scrunching his nose in displeasure. Never had he seen such an ugly child. His auburn hair looked extremely garish and his freckles made him look like a dirt-smudged urchin. To make things worse, he was crying so hard that his face was red with exertion.

' _Heaven help the woman who gave birth to this frog_.'

"I said stop crying!" the Duke commanded, holding the infant at arm's length, only for his screams to increase in intensity. A sense of déjà vu came over the Duke as he was vaguely reminded of Queen Valhalla's thirteenth son whom he was tasked with escorting to Corona some thirty years prior. They were similar enough – red-haired, red-faced, and extremely fussy. ' _Could it be_ …?'

' _Impossible! It's probably just a coincidence_.' The last he had seen of Valhalla's thirteenth, was the night the young prince was dropped off at the de Mointenuin household. Whatever became of that boy, the Duke did not know nor care.

Fed up with the child's incessant wailing, he bounced him up and down, praying that it would calm him down. Much to his surprise it had worked. Perhaps a little bit too well.

The baby whimpered and let out a loud belch and promptly vomited onto the Duke, staining his coat with sickly, yellow-white mush.

"You horrible, disgusting little brat!"

"I beg your pardon?" hissed a low, menacing voice.

The Duke turned to see the queen's advisor and the former Crown Prince of the Southern Isles, Caleb de Mointeuin approaching him along with his wife Theresa, both looking rather displeased. Without another word, Theresa plucked the baby away from the furious old man.

"Look what he did to my coat!" the Duke howled, gesturing to his now-ruined outfit. He pointed a furious finger right into Caleb's face. "A fine job you did in raising your son! It's clear that he'll never amount to more than a good-for-nothing!"

Out of nowhere, Theresa handed Ross over to her husband. "Caleb, do be a dear and kindly hold him for me, would you?"

Nodding, he accepted her request.

Eyes blazing, Theresa now turned onto the Duke. "With all due respect, Your Grace, he's not our son; but how dare you speak to my nephew like that! He's just a baby, he didn't know any better."

"My point exactly!" he bellowed, drawing the attention of the other de Mointeuins who were now hurrying over to investigate the commotion. "Clearly, he was raised in a barn! Now where is his mother so I can have a word with her posthaste!"

"Here I am, now what were you saying about my son?"

Upon hearing that voice, the Duke paled. He turned to see Queen Elsa walking towards him and the gathered de Mointeuins before gently taking the redheaded baby from Caleb's arms. Shocked beyond belief, he could only stare at them, mouth agape as the infant cooed and reached for his mother.

' _Unbelievable! I knew the queen had recently become a mother, but I never thought it'd be to this homely troll-child_.' His lip curled into a disgusted sneer. ' _How could a great beauty like her have given birth to that_?'

"So this is your child?" queried the Duke, narrowing his beady, little eyes at the boy who was now snuggling into Elsa's neck.

"Yes, this is my son, Prince Rosenrød, I'm sure that I have mentioned him before," she answered.

He stiffened a little. "My apologies, Your Majesty… I was merely under the impression that he was someone else's child. After all, he hardly bears any resemblance to you at all."

"That's because he takes after his father."

"Ah yes… _Him_ …" said the Duke, "I suppose there was always that probability. Still, it would've been wonderful for your child to take after you, but then again that's what happens when you marry a…"

By this point, everyone could sense that the Duke had nothing pleasant to say about the late King and began frantically gesturing at him to stop talking while he still could. But alas, all their efforts were in vain as the truculent old man uttered those two horrible words.

"…dusty servant."

Everyone paled at that, and though her mien remained serene, Elsa's gaze turned steely at the insult. "Pardon?"

"That's the truth, isn't it?" continued the Duke, unaware of the growing tension around him. "Wasn't your husband merely a common servant when you met him?"

Franz winced. "Ooh… He shouldn't have said that…"

"Dead man walking…" Ludwig mumbled under his breath.

"Yes, but his past as a servant does not make him any less of a man!" Elsa declared.

"That may be so, but a woman of your station has to have standards!" rebutted the Duke, not noticing the queen's expression grow darker and darker. "Not only did you break protocol by marrying someone well below your rank, but he had to be a lowly, dusty servant as well!"

"Oh, he's in for it now…" Yvonne commented. One by one, the de Mointeuins made themselves scarce, not wanting to see the outcome of this discussion.

* * *

The gates of the palace of Arendelle opened letting a frozen Duke Weselton walk out, his suit was frozen, his wig had icicles and even his face was frozen in a look of horror as he made his way out and into the carriage which was going to take him to port.

Watching from one of the windows of the palace Anna was quick to guess what happened before she said "Let me guess...he said it didn't he",

"We tried to warn him, but he would not listen" said Caleb as he and his brothers nodded,

"On the bright side, we got rid of him" said Ludwig,

"For now...cause something tells me he will be back" said Anton making the others groan,

"Hopefully it will not be for a while as I do not imagen myself having to deal with him" said Anna with a sight as she subconsciously ran her hand through her abdomen,

"On the hind sight, maybe Elsa's ice magic scared him off for good and if that does not work we can always...accidentally...forget to put Ross gloves on and his fire magic will do the job" suggested Kristoff,

"Not a good idea... if that happens who knows how Elsa will react to it" said Caleb,

"Come on its not like my sister will consider locking Ross away for his own safety" said Anna,

"You never know...we all know she is extra over protective" said Caleb,

"I know my sister and I know she will never do that" said Anna seriously,

"For Ross sake, I hope your right" said Kristoff with that followed silence of uncertainly, luckily it was broken when the door slammed open and Lars came running in.

"Lars?! Where have you been!?" demanded Caleb furious,

"Long story, I went to the Southern isles and-",

"YOU WENT WHERE!? ARE YOU NUTS!? YOU KNOW WE ARE NOT WELCOMED BACK THERE!" yelled Caleb when he heard that. It was very true, when it was discovered that they were very much alive the people of the isles threatened them, should they ever set foot in the isles again they would kill them, of course Hans was welcomed, but not them, never them, they even offered to give him the crown, which Hans refused as he wanted to focus all his energies on becoming the best consort he could be to Arendelle. Were they bitter about it? No, they were not, sure they were sad that they could never return home, but they never held it against Hans as it was not his fault what happened, it was their own fault, their past spoiled behavior was what caused their banishment.

"I KNOW! But I had to!" said Lars as he reached into his bag and took out two books,

"BOOKS? You stupid man! You think a book is worth more than your life!" yelled Caleb,

"No! But I needed it! This explains everything!" snapped Lars,

"Explain what?" asked Yvonne.

* * *

"This is it! The answer to all our questions!" Lars crowed triumphantly, holding up the books like some sacred relic. "What's written here should explain everything."

"Explain what?" Elsa asked, confused by his excited prattling. Around her, the other de Mointeuins gathered closer, looking equally baffled.

"Ross' fire magic, of course! It turns out it's genetic! " he exclaimed. He opened one of the tomes and rapidly thumbed through the pages before stopping at a certain passage. "Here–" he indicated, pointing at it, "Here's the proof that the de Mointeuin, or should I say, the Westergaard bloodline, our bloodline, has a magical legacy."

Everyone crowded closer, peering into the book. " _The Winter of Discord_ ," it read. " _In the olden days, when Vikings roamed the seas, Northern Europe was a violent, lawless place. Numerous wars were fought between the feuding kingdoms as each one sought to establish supremacy over its rivals. Among these, two particular kingdoms soon rose into prominence – Arendelle, ruled by the King Olaf of the Royal House Solberg; and the Southern Isles, ruled by the King Johannes I of the Royal House of Westergaard_.

" _However, King Olaf was an ambitious and power-hungry man, and through a dark, forbidden ritual, he was able to gain the power to control ice and snow. And with this newfound power, he soon set to conquer his neighbors, relishing in the ensuing bloodshed. All those who stood in his way were ruthlessly cut down and kingdom after kingdom fell until only the territories of the Southern Isles remained_.

" _Fortunately, through Divine Providence, King Johannes was blessed with the power of the Phoenix, and with armed with its holy flame, he was able to stop the frozen curse and end King Olaf's reign of terror_."

"Fascinating, isn't it?" Lars prattled on, clearly intrigued by his discovery. "Now here's a thought… Imagine if the fire wasn't summoned but an innate ability of our ancestor?"

"That sounds probable," Kristoff said, rubbing at his chin, "But how did it come to be?"

"That's easy!" Lars told him. He put down the book and whipped out the second, smaller book. "The answers are all in here. This is book is a journal written by our distant ancestor, High King Taran of Prydain. He married the Princess Eilonwy who came from the ancient House of Llyr, an illustrious line of magic users capable of harnessing the powers of fire and light!"

"But even so, then how come none of us have magic?" questioned Søren, who had always been one of the more logical brothers.

"It's just a theory, but I believe that our bloodline's ability to harness magic had become diluted through years of intermarriage with non-magical folk," Lars postulated. "But despite this, every Westergaard descendant is a carrier of this attribute, and their offspring can awaken it, granted that the other parent is a magic user, as is the case with Hans and Elsa."

A heavy silence enveloped the room as everyone took the time to digest this new information. Lars' research had definitely shed a lot of light on the nature of Ross' powers.

Elsa, in particular, was relieved to know that it was not the result of a curse or even a careless wish. Still, the ability to use magic should never be taken for granted; and given the nature of Ross' powers, proper measures needed to be followed.

"Pray tell Lars," she asked, "Do these books say anything about how to manage fire magic?"

"I'm afraid not," he replied. "Our ancestors didn't really go into detail about it. Sorry, I couldn't help you more."

"It's alright," she said, smiling benevolently. "You done so much for us already."

He bowed. "Anything for you, my queen."

She gestured for him to rise. "Please call me Elsa. We are family after all and whatever happens in the future, we'll be there to support each other through thick and thin, so thank you."

With a nod they all agreed, despite the answers more questions were opened, but regardless they will handle it even if they have to wing it or make things up as they go along.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Fun fact: For those who asked, yes the wives are their original ones. They got back together, all except Helga and Lars, though they tried they found themselves to be incompatible as Lars is a bit of a bore while Helga loves to live in the moment. Though divorce their still friends and remain in contact with one another and Helga visits Lars from time to time.**_

 _ **Authors note: Lol seems Ross made quite an impression to Duke. But regardless it seems that when one question is answered more questions remains...What will happen next? Y**_ _ **ou will have to wait and see... Any way I thank Nightrainand Brownstone for betaing some of the story, I also thank you my lovely readers for reading this story... till the next chapter please leave a review to tell me what you think.**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Authors note: Welcome to another chapter of the red rose and the wolf. As a Christmas gift here I humbly present this chapter you all of you my darling readers to read to your hearts delight. :)**_

 _ **Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all! Especially to all of my dear friends out there!:)**_

 _ **So enough about me blabbering, hope you all enjoy this new chapter and please review when done as your opinions matter. :)**_

* * *

Snow fell as Christmas time had arrived and it was bound to be one of the best as lights were strung, decorations were placed through the palace, a magnificent feast was made and a huge tree decorated with popcorn string, sweets, candles and toys was placed on one of the living rooms for all to see.

Though a beautiful time it did not make it any less stressful, being much older Ross was able to make his way around on his own which brought a whole new set of problems.

Like any other child he seemed to live by the motto "If it can be crawled under, over or climbed up or into it was done". He was also curious and said curiosity brought the problems as he tended to get into things he was not supposed to.

He would try to climb up into tables, crawl under furniture, even at one he somehow managed to get in a box which was then placed on a cart which was to be sent outside of Arendelle. Luckily Kristoff figured it out and was able to catch up to the cart before the box was placed on a ship which was set to sail to America.

Then there was the fact that he not only figured out that his gloves stopped his magic, but also how to take them off and would throw a fit if anybody tried to force him to wear his gloves. So knowing that there was no guarantee that he would keep his gloves on precautions such as keeping buckets of water through the rooms because a must, especially after one time when Ross accidentally set a tapestry on fire while playing with a ball of fire.

The last one being much too close a better eye was kept on Ross along with other restrictions such as the gates were to remain closed and guarded, certain rooms were locked and so forth.

But that did little to stop Ross as for every event seemed to bring more gray hairs to the brothers and their wives who would take turns to watch Ross and his mother who became more over protective.

"No Ross" said Elsa as she reached and picked up Ross who was currently trying to climb up the Christmas tree.

"Shiny" said Ross as he pointed at the tree,

"I know its shiny, but you do not climb trees...or anything" lightly Elsa as she walked over to the dinning room where Anna, Kristoff, Thomas, Hans brothers, their wives, Rapunzel and Eugene gathered for the meal. The family was big and seemed to get bigger as now Anna held her new born daughter Snehvide or Snow white after Elsa.

Such a fitting name it was as with snow white skin, her fathers blond hair and soft eyes eyes, she was as pretty as fresh fallen snow.

"Your late" joked Anna as Elsa walked in,

"A queen is never late...everybody is just earlier than she is" replied Elsa as she sat Ross down before seating herself,

"Sure" said Anna as the meal started, the conversations were light, even funny as when desert was served Ross went face first into his blotkake making them laugh.

"That's one way to eat" said Eugene between snickers as Ross lifted his head to reveal his entire face was covered with cake and cream, not that he seemed to mind as he just continued to eat quite content.

When the meal was done games were played such as billiards, chess, darts and other sorts, though the dart game was played only when Snehvide, Thomas, Lunette, Elios and Ross Red were not there.

The last game which was played was find the pickle, a tradittion made in germany, hence the name they had asked Gerda to hide a pickle in the tree, who ever found the pickle would get to open one gift before christmas and have a year of good fortune.

"Where is it? Where is it?" muttered Eugene as he, Rapunzel, Kristoff, Anna and the rest looked for the elusive pickle.

After scouring the tree they were left baffled as neither one of them found the pickle and they searched every inch of the tree.

"Maybe the pickle turned invisible" joked Anton,

"You must be joking, there is no such thing as invisibility" said Lars,

"Well there is no such thing as magic and yet we have a sister in law that has ice magic, a nephew who has fire magic and another one that also has ice among others" Caleb pointed out,

"That's different, for a simple vegetable would never turn invisible there has to be a logical explamation as to why we cannot find it" said Lars "Like for example, maybe were not looking good enough",

"Or a baby found it before us" said Soren deadpanned, looking the group could not help but laugh.

Snehvide was laying so innocently on the ground, the pickle was stuck into her mouth as she gummed and sucked on it. Making a face here and there because of its salty taste.

"Where she get the pickle?!" said Lars baffled,

"One guess" said Kristoff as he looked at Ross who as soon as he noticed they were starring at him decided to walk away and hide behind his mothers skirt.

"That is an admition of guilt" said Ludwig,

"Whatever happened to innocent till proven guilty?" joked Eugene,

"Alright I think we had enough for one night" said Elsa laughing bit,

"Yes but seeing that our daughter has the pickle it is fair she gets the present first" said Kristoff looking at Anna,

With a smile Anna held Snehvide up, took the pickle from her before walking over to the tree while cooing "Lookie, you get to choose one present"

Snehvide looked before reaching for a random one, attracted by its shiny paper. Taking it Kristoff opened it and looked before saying "Oh look, a knitted cap and matching booties from your aunty Rapunzel, how thoughful",

"I am glad you like it, made it myself" said Rapunzel happy as Kristoff held the knitted cap, it was pink and had many knitted flowers decorating it, the booties were also pink and each had a large knitted purple crocus decorating them.

After taking and such Anna, Kristoff, Snehvide and Thomas left to turn in for the night.

Elsa, Rosenrod, Eugene, Rapunzel, Lunette and Elios followed shortly while the brothers and their wives stayed behind as they wanted to enjoy the night.

Resting his head on his mothers Ross was starting to nodded off to sleep, walking pass the hallway to the wing which was Elsa's.

Pausing she looked at a particular painting which decorated the hallway, placing her hand on it she traced it.

It was of herself sitting on a chair, holding Ross on her lap, behind her stood Hans, the perfect family picture.

It was painted before she had left on that faithful trip, but not finished as she had to leave abruptly for business and forgot to come back, afterwards it was left unfinished as she had not been painted in and it would have stayed that way had not Anna suggested for her to finish it.

At first Elsa did not wanted it...she didn't even want to look at it in her grief, but in the end she decided to finish it and add Ross to it...so that maybe...she and Ross would have a glimpse of what it could have been like...

"I miss you my love" she whispered before she heard.

"Elsa" she heard.

Turning she saw Eugene and Rapunzel standing in the hallway. She said nothing, she felt suspicious and a bit curious, she had her guard up as they walked over.

"Elsa, I... we want to apologize" began Rapunzel as she placed her hand on Eugenes hand.

"Pardon?" said Elsa confused,

"I heard what my father said" said Rapunzel then shook her head "It is not right what he demanded, he should not demanded or even ask such a thing"

Elsa remained silent so Eugene added "We have nothing to do with it, not even Arianna and want you to know your not obligated in any way to comply in making Ross spend summers with us once he is old enough to travel, but we do ask you to forgive Frederik, he feels guilty, that he failed",

Nodding Rapunzel continued "You lost a husband, we lost family"

Elsa continued with her silence, they did not blame her for it. It was clear that the way Hans died affected her, causing her to be mistrustful, paranoid, her walls were erected to in her mind protect herself and her child. After all the people who were responsible were always there as a reminder.

Even to this day they were shocked that the very people Elsa and Hans ruled over, were kind to, would do such a horrible thing, especially when there was no evidence against Hans.

"Okay... you are forgiven" said Elsa,

"Thank you and remember, if you need anything, anything at all we will be there for you, for we are family and we have to stick together" said Eugene,

"Thank you... good night" Elsa said before leaving, as they watched her leave Eugene and Rapunzel hoped that the damage done by Rapunzels father was fixable.

* * *

Christmas morning came, exitement was all over, especially when the adults were awoken early by the kids screaming and running down the halls.

Getting up the adults walked to the living room where the kids were already running around the tree, eager to get presents.

"Wow calm down" said Eugene as he tried to get the kids to calm down, but was unsuccessful as most of the kids dogpiled on him.

Laughing Rapunzel, Elsa and Anna who held Snehvide watched as the adults tried and eventually managed to calm the kids down before the presents were distributed.

"Paint brushes hurray!" cheered Lunette as she held a handful of the paintbrushes Elsa had given her as a gift, these of course were no ordinary ones as each one was hand crafted and carved creating beautiful and unique handles.

"Forget paintbrushes! This is cool!" said Elios as he held out a box of tin soldiers.

"I think mine is better" said Thomas as he hugged a hobby reindeer while Ross was enthralled by his little wooden horse toy,

"Kids, its not a matter of whose gift is the best, its to be grateful for what you have" said Lars.

The kids nodded before going to their parents and thanking them profusely before Thomas said "Mother, Father can we go ice skating?", after thinking about it Anna said "Alright, but careful", Thomas cheered as everybody got up and left to the courtyard, once there Thomas stomp his foot on the cobble stone pavement, his ice magic spread through it turning to it to ice.

Elsa looked amazed, she could not do that till she was six while Thomas who was three had succeeded and quite easily too. With a smile Elsa moved her hand, making ice skates appear on everybody's feet before they began to skate.

Most of the adults were at ease as they glided through the ice with ease, Lars of course tripped and struggled, holding unto whatever he could to keep from falling,

"This is not fun" he declared before he fell to the ground on his back, skating over Franz asked "You hurt?" as he helped Lars up,

"Only my pride" whined Lars as he was helped up.

Meanwhile Elsa cooed as she held unto Ross, it was his first time on the ice and for a moment Elsa wondered if he was still too young to even try ice skating as Ross whined scared a bit as his feet wobbled unsteadily on the ice. When he seemed steady Elsa let go to see what he could do on his own, he stood there a minute or so before Elsa moved away a bit and encouraged "Come here Ross, you can do it".

Reaching Ross tried to move, but he was barely able a couple of feet before he lost his balance and fell face first, luckily Thomas who had been close by caught him, scared Ross began to cry while Thomas held him while he said "Its okay Ross, I have you".

Watching the scene it took everything Elsa had not to burst out crying as it reminded her so much of her and Anna's childhood,

"Awww, its so cute" cooed Anna as Thomas, who managed to calm Ross down slowly helped him skate, holding unto him as they skated to assure his younger cousin would not fall.

"So young yet close, one would say their brothers instead of cousins" said Kristoff as he nodded,

"Yes" said Elsa as they watched the happy scene before them, letting their worries to be forgotten just for a moment.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note:Awwww! If that does not give you the Christmas spirit I don't know what will. Lol Any way please review and stay tuned for the next chapter, for Ross will encounter somebody he though he never would encounter.**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Authors note: Welcome to another chapter of the red rose and the wolf. As a Christmas gift here I humbly present this chapter you all of you my darling readers to read to your hearts delight. :)**_

 _ **Happy holidays and new year to all! Especially to all of my dear friends out there! Hope you all had a merry Christmas and now that new year is coming I hope for good things to come for one and all! :)**_

 _ **So enough about me blabbering, hope you all enjoy this new chapter and please review when done as your opinions matter. :)**_

* * *

Time passed so quickly, too quickly for Elsa's taste as she sighted. In her hand she held some of Rosses old baby clothes. Which were far too small for him now.

"Where does time go?" though Elsa as she folded the clothes and put them in chest which she dubbed the baby treasure chest since it contained her sons things from when he was a baby.

Getting up Elsa dusted her skirt a bit before turning and elegantly walking out of the room to eager to join the family for breakfast, but most of all see her sons sweet face before starting her long tedious day of meetings, filing paper, approvals and so forth.

* * *

Early day sunlight gently shone into Ross room, tired five year old Ross opened one eye to look towards the window of his room.

Seeing that it was morning did not encouraged him to get out of bed as he just pulled the covers over his head with a mumble "Five more minutes".

Less than a second later there was a knock on the door startling him. Half awake he looked to the door as he heard Gerda call "Your highness its time to get up",

"Oh yawn I am... I am" Ross yawned before forcing himself out of bed,

"Get ready quickly, breakfast is ready" called Gerda again.

"Breakfast, yawn, sure sure" Ross yawned again as he practically slept walk to the bathroom.

Walking pass the bath tub which had been filled up with water he made his way to a table where a basin with water, towels and soap had been left.

Using a stool he reached the basin and splashed water unto his face. That did the trick as he immediately felt awake the moment the icy water touched his face.

"Wah cold!" yelped Ross before he quickly grabbed an towel and wipe his face on it.

Sighting he put the towel down and stared at his reflection. He frowned when he saw his hair was a mess which looked like a birds nest, he looked nothing like a prince. Not like his cousin Tommy, he looked like a prince, no scratch that, he did not look like a prince, Tommy looked more like a king and he was not even seven yet.

"I wish I looked more like him... or mom..." though Ross to himself glumly.

Sure he had heard plenty of times from adults that he got his looks from his father, but he finds himself doubting it as his father, based on what he had seen in the few paintings of him and his mother, his father was very handsome, surely he was also handsome as a kid, not like how Ross is..

Sighting Ross ran his hand through his hair, making it neat before attending to his personal hygiene and getting dressed in dark blue trousers with a red pin stripe on either side, a matching coat, an ochre vest, white shirt and a purple bow.

Secretly Ross was proud when he finally was able to wear trousers like Thomas, almost as proud as when he finally was allowed to have what he dubbed a big boy bed.

Regardless his choice of color was based on his mother, who often said that dark blue brought out the color of his eyes and hair, though Ross was not sure about that, but regardless he liked to wear blue cause it was his mothers favorite color and Tommy always wore blue too. So it seemed right he wore blue as well. Though he preferred black with accents of red and maybe purple or ochre.

After putting on his shoes Ross quickly left the room and went down the hall where Thomas was waiting already. He stood in what Ross deemed as the perfect pose as he read a book.

"Tommy your here" said Ross as he stopped his hurrying,

"Of course, it would not be fair that you enter late, so best do it together" chirped Thomas as he set the book on a table before he and Ross made their way to the breakfast table.

Arriving it just barely begun as they each took their seats, Thomas sitting next to his mother who sat on the opposite left side of Elsa who sat at the head of the table and Ross sat next to his mother on the right side of the table, the chair which was dubbed the heir chair.

Breakfast was surprisingly simple yet dull as Ross found that days went by with little change.

So he hoped for something different today. Something to break the monotony of every day life and schedule.

When breakfast was done they were all excused but Ross stayed as he would walk his mother down to the meeting room before she would start business and he would he escorted away by Gerda and Kai to be entertained by whichever one of his uncles was free.

Taking her hand the two walked side by side down the hall, any passing servant or noble stopped before making a curtesy or bow as they walked pass them. Which was a bit silly in Ross opinion.

When arriving at the meeting room Elsa and Ross turned to face each other,

"I hope you have a good day" Elsa spoke first,

"You too mother" answered Ross softly, with a gentle smile Elsa ran her hand through his auburn locks before bending down and kissing the top of his head.

But as she turned to walk into the meeting room Ross quickly said "Mother, with respect I have something to ask",

"Yes my child?" asked Elsa curious as she stopped,

"Can..." began Ross before stopping to muster up his courage then said "Its such a beautiful day mother, the sun is shinning, the trees and flowers are in full bloom",

"Yes they are",

"So I was hoping, if you allow mother, if I could go outside of the walls and spend the day in the country side?" asked Ross mentally crossing his fingers as he did for good luck.

Elsa stopped and stared, Ross noticed how the handle of the door which she had her hand on got covered in frost before she answered "You know why we do not go outside the walls of the castle",

"I know... but maybe I can go... accompanied... please mother? I will be good and I won't get into any trouble, please?" said Ross, mentally praying for his mother to agree as he stared.

She seemed to pause and think before saying "Alright, but under strict rules and you will be observed and guarded by Caleb, Anton, Erik, Kristoff and Shuangsong, whatever they say you must obey",

"Yes mother, I will not disappoint" said Ross happy, with a nod Elsa turned and entered the meeting with "I will see you at dinner",

"Yes mother, I love you" said Ross softly,

"I love you the most" said Elsa with that the doors closed.

* * *

Chattering was heard as Anton, Caleb, Erik and Kristoff put some things in one of the two carriages.

Barely able to contain his excitement Ross was literally bouncing around the carriage as he went on and on about all the fun they were going to have.

"Well his enthusiasm is infectious" chuckled Anton as he watched Ross,

"That's because you have not seen Anna, she acts like that too sometimes" said Kristoff snickering as he placed a basket full of food in the carriage,

"Hey, I am not the only one" said Anna pouting before adding "Your not going to believe it, but Elsa used to do that when she was a kid",

"Your right" said Erik "I don't believe it" when he finished speaking he winced because his wife slapped him on the back of his head for his comment,

"Ow what was that for?" whined Erik rubbing the back of his head.

"Any way, lets get going before it gets too late" said Caleb before he whistled using his two fingers making Ross stop dead in his tracks.

"Ross get in the carriage were leaving" Caleb called, Ross cheered as he ran over, he did not climb into the carriage, he jumped inside, somehow landing on Therese lap making her scream in shock.

"Ross how many times do I have to tell you! Comport yourself in front of others" Caleb lightly scolded,

"Sorry uncle Caleb" said Ross glumly before he took the seat next to the window.

"Cut him some slack, no harm was done" said Erik,

"I am just saying that-",

"Your a buzzkill" chirped Erik playfully,

"I am not!" snapped Caleb before he made some hand signals to the coachman. Soon the carriages started to move. As they moved through Arendelle they were careful to be as nondescript as possible to blend in with the crowd. Though Ross nearly gave them a heart attack when he stuck his head... and half of his body out the window to get a better view.

* * *

A perfect spring day, that would be the tittle of the day as the carriages passed many forest, meadows and beds of flowers.

Ross was more than eager for the carriage to stop though sadly he knew it would be a while as neither one of his aunts or uncles could decide which place would be a perfect spot to stop.

Finally after what seemed like forever they stopped at a meadow surrounded by forest, deeming it to be perfect.

"Finally!" said Thomas which surprised Ross, seeing the look he had on his face Thomas said "Sorry, but I was getting claustrophobic",

"I agree" said Ross, but still they had to wait till their uncles looked around to make sure it was safe and then a bit more as the area was set up before they finally were allowed to leave the carriage.

* * *

"I am going to get you!" yelled Ross as he raced after Thomas, both had their hobby toys, Ross was a horse and Thomas was a reindeer.

"Be careful!" called Anna, she was more or less four feet away, sitting on a blanket where her sister in laws were chatting, Caleb and Anton were playing a chess game they brought and Kristoff and Erik were arm wrestling, so far Erik was loosing, by a lot.

Not really hearing from how engross they were in their race Ross and Thomas continued to run around the meadow not paying attention to where they were going.

The game ended with Ross tripping, rolling down a small hill and finally stopping when he landed on a bush.

"Ross!" Called Thomas in a panic as he worried his cousin got hurt.

Getting up and dusting the sailor outfit he wore Ross called out "I am okay!" before proceeding to pick out the branches and leaves that got stuck in him when he heard a snap of a tree twig.

Looking around Ross was confused as he heard something but saw nothing. "Hello? Somebody there?" he called, there was no answer but for a moment at the corner of his eye he saw a bush shake.

"Hello?" said Ross as he slowly approached the bush "Its okay, I am not going to hurt you" as if to make a point he raised his hands to show he was unarmed "Come on, its okay".

The bush shook again before something came out... and it was huge.

"Wow..." said Ross amazed as he back away a bit.

* * *

The adults continued to chatter away, well mostly Erik who accused Kristoff of cheating,

"Your cheating!" he snapped,

"I did not, your just being a sore looser" said Kristoff exasperated,

"I am not! I demand another challenge" snapped Erik,

"I already beat you 10 times, just give up" said Kristoff tired of his demands,

"Erik, just give it a break, like my mother always said-" Anna stopped then screamed loudly,

"She said ah?" asked Anton confused before he too screamed when he saw what made Anna scream.

Walking over was Ross and Thomas, both looking very happy, next to them was a wolf, a huge one, no, it was bigger than huge, it easily towered over Kristoff who was the tallest. Its fur was red, its eyes green, never had they seen a wolf like that.

"I found Fenrir!" Ross declared proudly while the adult grew pale,

"Caleb... did you bring a sword? Or better yet a gun?" Whispered Kristoff trying to remain calm,

"No..." whispered Caleb as he mentally could see themselves being eaten by the wolf or worse... being turned to ice sculptures by Elsa if they survived but Ross did not.

Then the next thing that happened baffled them, the wolf just lay on the ground, its green eyes looking at them all the while Ross and Thomas ran their hands over its fur saying "what a good boy" he was.

"Okay... that was weird..." said Anton baffled at what he saw,

"Must have been domesticated?" Suggested Therese though she wondered who in the right mind would want a wolf for a pet.

Saying nothing Anna got up and walked over to the wolf,

"What are you doing?! Are you insane?!" whispered Kristoff, but Anna paid no attention as she walked over to the wolf.

Upon seeing her the wolf picked its head up, for some reason it seemed to be happy to see her, reaching she flinched a bit as the wolf pressed its head against her hand, whinnying a bit.

"See, Fenrir is nice" said Ross nodding his head with certainty.

"Uh yes... uhh well Ross... Thomas... I think its time you say good bye to Fenrir... who I am sure has a wolf family waiting... while we have lunch" said Xuemei somehow sounding calm despite the paused she took to form her words.

"Can't he stay? He looks lonely" said Ross, before the adults could even reply Ross and Thomas already brought Fenrir over, plopping in between Kristoff and Ross, Kristoff was as still as a statue during the duration of lunch while the rest of the adults were tense as they took hurried bites of their food and kept their eyes on the wolf for any sign of aggression.

"Here you go Fenrir, a nice garlax sandwich" said Ross as he took and held out said sandwich.

The hairs on the back of the necks of all the adults stood up as Fenrir picked up his head. They were so sure the wolf would rip the sandwich off of Ross hands, which made what happened next a complete surprise.

"Fenrir" delicately and slowly took the sandwich off of Ross hands, then ate it... quite daintily... for a wolf of course.

Baffled they all stared at one another, wondering if they did see what they though they saw.

Time passed and the wolf continued to baffle them, even more when he allowed Ross and Thomas to get on his back like a rider would to a horse.

So it was a relief when it was time to go home. Which turned into a problem.

"No, your not bringing the be... Fenrir... to the castle" said Caleb as both Ross and Thomas pleaded him to allow them to take Fenrir home.

"Please, let us take him" pleaded Ross,

"Yes, he won't cause trouble" added Thomas,

"No" said Caleb firmly,

"Why?" The two boys whined,

"I can give you one huge reason" said Caleb before saying "Your mother Ross".

Both Ross and Thomas though then pouted "He is right" said Thomas admitting defeat as it was true, Elsa would never allow Fenrir to stay or even ten feet near the castles gate, but sadly it seems that Ross inherited his mothers stubbornness as he refused to give up,

"But surely when Mother sees how good Fenrir is she would let him stay, please?" insisted Ross,

"No" said Caleb still firmly,

"Please?" Ross said again,

"No",

"Pretty please?",

"I don't care about the physical appearance of the please, no is no" said Caleb,

"Please, please, please, please, PLEASE!" continued Ross till finally Caleb caved in,

"Alright, fine, you don't give up easy do you?" said Caleb exasperated,

"Nope" chirped Ross happily "Thank you uncle Caleb", Caleb said nothing as everybody got on the carriages. When Shuangsong said "You know her majesty is not going to be happy when she sees that wolf",

"I know..." grumbled Caleb.

Once they were all in the carriages they left, the wolf followed close by. For a moment when they were reaching Arendelle the wolf stopped and hesitated... as if it was expecting something to stop him.

After a couple of one would say baby steps it perked up seeing nothing happened before hurrying up after the carriages.

* * *

Exhausted, that was what Elsa felt as she had finished the meetings which had dragged on longer than what she wanted.

"Was that the last of it?" asked with hope Elsa to Lars who had accompanied her in the meetings,

"Till tomorrow my queen" said Lars as he checked his book,

"Good, I doubt I can stomach another conversation about plums" said Elsa with a sight of relief,

"Well they are a rather tasty fruit" chuckled Lars,

"I heavily dislike plums" said Elsa when they heard screaming.

Panic the two rushed to where they heard the noise, upon seeing what caused it Lars grew several shades white before fainting while Elsa screamed "What is that?!" as she pointed at the wolf while Ross was busy scratching its head.

"Its Fenrir" said Ross "Its nice",

"What's that wild animal doing here?!" demanded Elsa as she stared at the group who pointed at Ross.

"I brought him... he seemed lonely" answered Ross as the wolf plopped down, looking up, somehow making itself look cute and not menacing.

Taking a deep breath Elsa wondered if Ross was going through the "Can I keep it phase?" Before saying "Ross you cannot keep it, its a wild animal",

"Mother its not, look its not doing anything" said Ross as he pointed at Fenrir who again was staying still and acting completely docile,

"Forgive my intrusion, but Ross is right, Fenrir is not acting like any wolf would act" said Dongzu "I can safely say its domesticated",

"See? Can I keep him? Please? It won't cause trouble" said Ross quickly,

"Ross you cannot keep it" said Elsa exasperated, yes it was definitely the "can I keep it" phase,

"Please mother, Fenrir has nowhere to go, he won't cause trouble" insisted Ross,

"Ross that's a wild animal and also I don't think you will be able to take care of it" said Elsa trying to reason with her son,

"Yes I can, please mother, I promise he won't cause trouble, please please" begged Ross.

Elsa was going to refuse but found herself unable to so with a sigh she relented "Okay, but if it misbehaves its out of here",

"Yes, thank you mother, you will-" Ross stopped as much to their surprise Fenrir moved.

If they did know any better they would say that the wolf was bowing to Elsa.

"That was weird" they all though but pay no attention as soon they all had to leave to do things.

As she walked away Elsa found Fenrir followed her, looking back she saw the wolfs strange green eyes.

Strange she never heard of a wolf with green eyes before... and... why did they seem so familiar to her?

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Fun fact: Back then during Victorian times little boys had to wear dresses till they were 5 years old. My guess it is because it made changing diapers and then later on potty training a lot more easier as back then pants had all these buttons and so forth which would make it difficult for a child to take off.**_

 _ **Also the Chinese winter siblings who appear in the story are actually descendants of Shang and Mulan.**_

 _ **Authors note: Hummm what a strange wolf... wonder who that is... *cough* Hans *cough* Any way please review and stay tuned for the next chapter as things will get more and more interesting as time goes on.**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Authors note: Welcome to another chapter of the red rose and the wolf. Here I humbly present this new chapter for all of you my darling readers to read to your hearts delight. :)**_

 _ **So enough about me blabbering, hope you all enjoy this new chapter and please review when done as your opinions matter to me and help me make the story better. :)**_

* * *

He had only been a toddler then, no more than a year-and-a-half; so many years had passed since that time, but Thomas could still remember that fateful summer day when he first met his cousin. Then again, how could he not? It was, after all, one of his earliest childhood memories.

Some details were rather fuzzy, he could still clearly recall his Auntie Elsa walking down the halls, her belly swollen and distended, so much so that he was convinced that she must have swallowed a large fruit or a giant egg. She had begun to behave rather oddly too as he would find her sitting in the parlor, caressing, talking, and even singing to it.

The more Thomas observed his aunt, the more baffled he became. He could not understand what could have possibly driven her to act that way. She ate strange foods that would have repulsed anyone else, and she had also become quite temperamental – shifting from cheerful to anxious to calm in the blink of an eye.

And all throughout that time, her stomach continued to grow.

Then one day, his Auntie Elsa just disappeared into her room. It too was very odd as she normally came out after, but that time, she just stayed there and never left. In fact, it was quite some time until Thomas saw her again, and when he did, she was now back to her old self and most importantly, her belly had shrunk back.

But just when Thomas thought that normalcy had returned, the other adults, including his own parents, began to act rather bizarrely. Everyone suddenly seemed busier, more excited. Not to mention that they kept on talking about a "Rosenrød".

Thomas himself found it funny that the adults, even the wise ones like Uncle Lars or Uncle Søren, would make such a big deal over a red rose. There wasn't anything particular special about such a flower and the castle gardens were chock full of them.

'Still that must be some red rose,' he said to himself. With that in mind, he set out into the garden to search for that special flower that had captivated everybody's attention.

Though he was barely more than a baby, Thomas was quite intelligent for his age, and already he had an idea of what this "Rosenrød" could be. He imagined it to be the single, most perfect rose blossom to ever bloom. It would have petals of a vibrant crimson shade and a fragrance sweeter than even the most exquisite perfume.

Day in, day out he would go into the garden, poking and prodding through every bush and shrub in search for that perfect rose. But despite his best efforts, he always turned up empty-handed. Even asking the gardeners brought no leads for every flower they showed him could not hold a candle to that perfect red rose.

One day, frustrated after yet another failed search, Thomas decided to head back into the castle. Perhaps the rose was so perfect that they had already moved it inside.

As he was passing through the residential wing, his ears suddenly caught the faint yet shrill sound of a child's cry. Curious, he toddled on, following the sound's increasing intensity until he reached the queen's quarters.

Normally, Thomas was not allowed to go in unless he was accompanied by either one or both of his parents, or on rare occasions, his aunt herself, but this time curiosity had gotten the better of him; and in a stroke of luck, the door had opened a crack, allowing him to enter the room.

As he did so, the first thing that Thomas noticed was the cradle set beside his aunt's bed. It was a showcase of Arendellian craftsmanship with expertly carved rose patterns embellishing it, and it was rocking slightly as the child's cries could be heard coming from within.

Slowly, he tiptoed over to the cradle and peered inside.

There, Thomas found a most interesting sight. A tiny baby, whom he had never seen before, was lying inside. It was dressed in a white gown as it squirmed about, wailing quite loudly.

Upon spotting him, the baby's cries quieted down to soft sniffles. Then it began to coo as it stared up at the older boy with wide green eyes.

Thomas stared back, his attention trained onto the tiny baby before him. He tilted his head in confusion. This was a baby, not a flower. Even if it had wispy strands of red hair sticking out from underneath its bonnet, it surely couldn't be the red rose that the grown-ups spoke so highly of, could it?

Just then, the baby began to whine and scrunch up its face, a sure sign that it was about to cry again.

Alarmed, Thomas racked his brain for a solution. He never wanted to see anyone cry nor did he want to get into trouble. After a bit of rumination, he had an idea. With a wave of his hand, he emitted a small shower of snowflakes and watched it waft on the baby.

The results were almost instantaneous. At the sight of the snowflakes, the baby stopped whimpering. It even cooed and giggled when a snowflake landed on its nose. The scene itself was cute and funny that Thomas could not help but laugh as well.

"Ah… So there you are Thomas!"

He turned to see his parents, Anna and Kristoff walk in. Immediately, he ran over to them and pulled them over to the cradle.

"Mama, who?" he asked, pointing at its occupant as Kristoff carried him so that he could have a better look.

"Oh! We were going to wait a bit before introducing him to you," she said, smiling kindly. "But I suppose now is as good a time as any."

She reached in and picked the baby up. "Thomas, meet your cousin Rosenrød, or Ross for short. He's still quite little now, but in time he'll grow bigger and I'm sure that you and he will be the best of friends."

Thomas beamed. While he did not quite understand why a baby would be called "red rose", it now explained why the grown-ups were so entranced by a Rosenrød. Though it was not the perfect blossom he thought it was, he was happy to have someone to love and cherish. He leaned forward, reaching out to caress the other boy. "Hello Rosenrød. Friend?"

The baby, or rather, Rosenrød giggled in response and reciprocated the gesture with his chubby little hands.

"I guess that's a yes," Kristoff laughed.

And since then Thomas and Ross had been friends –well, more than that– They valued each other's company very much and each boy viewed the other as the brother he never had.

They were almost always together, which often times made his own sister cry out in jealously as she claimed thatRosenrød was a brother hog.

But on his defence... girls have cooties and were no fun hence why he prefered to play with Ross than his sister.

* * *

Laughs sounded through the halls as Ross and Thomas were playing.

"Boys, be careful" called Anna from a parlor "Don't rough house", it got quiet a bit though it was probably because they moved from the area.

Giving a light laugh Anna reached for a plate that had some chocolate in it. But before she could even taste one Snehvide walked in, groaning she threw herself ontu the couch and proceded to kick the seats.

Sensing something was up Anna got up, sat next to Snehvide, placing a hand on her back she said "Want to talk about it?".

Lifting her head the girl nodded and said "I am bored!", Anna covered her mouth with her hand gently to stop a laugh before asking "Why don't you play with your brother?",

"I tried! But he is always playing with Rosenrød!" complained Snehvide "Its like I don't exist!",

"Don't take it badly, I am sure they would play with you if you ask again" said Anna soothly as she ran her hand through her daughters hair.

"No they won't, I asked and they said I could not play cause I was a girl" huffed Snehvide.

Upon hearing that a dark look appeared briefly on Annas face before she said "Is that so? Hum, seems I need to talk to my son and nephew" getting up she dusted her skirt and left leaving Snehvide behind, looking a little confused.

* * *

Who knew Anna could be that scary? It was the though that went through Ross mind over and over as he and Thomas walked over to the parlor to play with Snehvide.

Okay he was told that Anna was scary by his uncles, even Caleb was afraid of her. But Ross never believed them cause Anna just seemed well... like Anna... she was a goofball, fun, always cheerful and happy. Nothing about her said scary. Till now at least...

Ross shivered as he remembered what happened a couple of minutes earlier, how Anna scolded them, she was so scary that Ross and Thomas "fought" to hide behind one another before she ordered them to go and play with Snehvide.

Now they have to play, which was a problem as they don't know what to play with girls or even what girls do.

The only thing they knew is that girls were clean and wore dresses. That was basically it so it made the idea of them having to play with her rather hard as they did not know what girls like to play.

"Do you think girls play sword fights?" asked Ross to Thomas,

"I don't think so" said Thomas then asked "What about tag?",

"I don't know" said Ross as he poundered "What do girls do any way? I know what my mother does but well, she is my mother, girls and mothers are different",

"I know, but we will have to think if something or else my mother will not be happy" said Thomas wincing,

"Yes and I though my mother was scary, yours takes the cake" said Ross shivering before they reached the parlor.

Sitting on an arm chair Snehvide was arm crossed and had a sour look on her face as she waited impatiently.

Looking at one another they were silent before Ross said "So... what do we do?"

* * *

Scribble scribble, it was what Elsa was doing, her head bend down as she was busy doing some paperwork about laws, statistics and such.

Sighting she ran her hand through her hair, she felt stressed, tired, so much so she was sure that she was going to have a headaque.

Soon Elsa heard a whimper, turning her head she saw it was Fenrir, his green eyes looking at her as he towered over her.

She had heard some people were scared of Fenrir, which she laughed as she knew by now that Fenrir was nothing but a sweetheart and in all honesty she saw the wolf as a close and trusted friend.

Even if he was a little bossy as he would make sure that she would take a break from work to eat or take a walk and breath some fresh air.

Like he was doing now, pressing his nose against her side he began to nudge her, trying to get her off of her chair and out of the office.

"Alright Fenrir, alright" said Elsa as she got up to leave as she knew that if she did not he would carry her out and he did once.

She grew flustered with embarasement as she remembered that time. He picked her up by the back of her dress and carried her out while she yelled and shouted, threatning to turn him into an ice block... while Lars and Caleb were of no help, Lars quickly hid behind the nearest closet whe Caleb burst out laughing as he found the situation funny.

Though she was angry she did admitted that she felt a bit better after spending half an hour outside.

Walking away the wolf followed closely, towering over her, imposing, yet protective of her.

Heading outside they walked around for a bit, smelling the fresh air, looking at the flowers in the garden before taking a rest under the shade of a tree.

Leaning against it Elsa sighted, the wolf whimpered and lay his head on her lap. Running her hand through its fur, it was peacecul, though she was better her sorrow remained and will most likely remain till she knew where her husband was.

The wolf whined again, it was as if it was trying to tell her something, but what?

"I am sorry, I don't know what your saying" said Elsa, making him wine again, looking so sad.

Frowning she just ran her hand through his fur again before getting up to walk back to the castle, as she did the wolf followed, but its walk was slow, head bend down, looking so sad as he could not communicate what he wanted to.

* * *

After some deliberation, the three cousins were able to decide on a new game and Thomas found himself playing the role of the king of some make-believe kingdom. He sat on an ornate armchair, clad in the royal regalia of the king of Arendelle, which he had borrowed from the treasury to make the costume more convincing.

It too would have had made for an imposing sight if it were not for the fact that said items were far too big for him to wear comfortably. The ermine cape dragged onto the floor and the crown was constantly slipping onto his brow. Still, Thomas managed to put up quite the performance. "Bring forth the knight so he can slay the dragon!" he commanded, waving the scepter imperiously.

Taking the cue, Ross jumped out from behind a tapestry. He was wearing his father's cape and a helmet that had been lifted from a suit of armor in the hallway. However, like Thomas' costume, those too were quite ill-fitting. The visor on the helmet snapped shut at the slightest movement and it seemed like Ross was in constant danger of tripping on the cape. The only thing that he seemed to carry with ease were his toy sword and shield.

"Now I shall slay the dragon and save the kingdom!" he declared in he bravest voice. He shifted into a combative stance, gazing intently over to the other side of the room where another person could be seen hiding behind a curtain.

However, there was no movement.

"I shall now slay the dragon!" Ross repeated.

Still , no movement.

Frowning, he strode over to the person opposite him and lightly nudged him with his wooden sword. "Uncle Kristoff, come on!"

"No," Kristoff said, his voice muffled by the heavy curtains. "I look ridiculous."

"You and me both," Snehvide grumbled, crossing her arms testily. When the boys had allowed her to play with them, she had expected to take part in one of their more exciting games; but instead, she waa made to wear Elsa's coronation tiara and wound up playing the princess in distress in their game of make-believe. If she had to have her way, she would much rather play the part of the knight or the dragon, either of which was more exciting that the role of some silly damsel.

"Come on, please," Ross wheedled. He grabbed Kristoff's hand in an attempted to pull him out into the open, only to find that his uncle was far too big and heavy to do so. At this, he took to poking him with the wooden sword. "Please, please, please!"

"Alright, alright!" Kristoff relented, stepping of the curtains, only to have all three children burst in laughter at the sight of him. The truth was, he did indeed look ridiculous. He had a bear pelt draped over his shoulders, a deer skull on his head, and his face was concealed by a dragon mask made of papier-mâché.

"Oh you're in for it now!" He charged at them, growling playfully as they squealed and ran away. Whenever he caught any of the children, he would tickle them, making them laugh even harder.

"What is going here?"

Everyone stopped mid-action to see Caleb enter the room. Apparently, he had come to pick Ross up for his afternoon lessons and judging by his facial expression, he did not look very pleased with what he had just witnessed.

Clicking his tongue in disapproval, he made his way towards Kristoff and the children and gestured for them to return the crown, the tiara, the scepter, the helmet, and the capes. "You shouldn't be playing with this," he said rather sternly as he confiscated each item.

"We're sorry! Please don't be mad, Uncle Caleb," Ross pleaded. "We just wanted some good costumes."

"Yes," Thomas piped up, "We just wanted to make it more convincing."

"Still, these aren't toys," Caleb chided. As he moved about, the items in his arms jostled with an audible clang. "These are priceless heirlooms and relics that should be treated with reverence and properly preserved."

"Come now, Caleb, do go easy on the kids, they didn't know any better," Kristoff intervened. "If anything, it's my fault for not educating them on the importance of the royal regalia and stopping them when I had the chance."

"Very well," said the older man. "Just see to it that it won't happen again."

"Don't worry Uncle Caleb, it won't!" chimed the children.

He nodded. "Good. But a word of advice, if you want the game to be more convincing, you Ross should be king, and you Thomas should be the knight."

"What do you mean?" Snehvide asked, confused.

"As nice as it is of Ross to let Thomas play the role, your brother can't be the king, just as your cousin can't be a knight."

"But why?" the boys asked in unison.

"It is your birthright after all," Caleb replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "As the queen's son, you Ross are expected to inherit the throne, so it is you who should play the role of king in order to prepare for the future."

Ross pouted at this. "But I always do that!" he whined. "Today I want to be a knight and slay dragons."

But sadly, his protests went by unheeded as Caleb turned his attention to Thomas. "And you should be the one playing the knight. Being the heir, your cousin is very important and it is your responsibility to protect him."

Thomas, to his credit, merely nodded. Ross would have been impressed by the blond's mental fortitude if he hadn't been so bothered by his uncle's tactlessness. Heir or not, he definitely did not think that he was better than anyone else.

"Oh come off it, Caleb!" Kristoff snarled, offended by the other man's implications. "It was only a game! Just leave them be!"

"I'm just educating them, as is my duty," Caleb retorted. He thrust the regalia into Kristoff's arms. "I trust that you'll return these to their proper place."

"Of course…" Kristoff managed to bite out.

Caleb nodded again. "Good. Come on Ross, let's go," he said, gently taking the boy by the hand. "It's time for your lessons, and it wouldn't be proper to keep your Uncle Lars waiting."

"Yes Uncle Caleb…" With a resign sigh, Ross slowly trudged out of the room, but not before casting one last wistful glance at Thomas and his family.

* * *

Night had fallen, Thomas looked up to the cealing, his mind went over and over to what Caleb had said.

"Your cousin is very important" it rang over and over on Thomas mind before a sad though entered his mind.

Was he not important too?

Soon he heard the door open, turning the first thing he saw was a small ball of flame which lit the room lightly before Ross peeked in.

"Thomas? Thomas? Are you awake?" Ross whispered, Thomas turned so his back was on Ross.

"Can I come in?" asked Ross,

"Your the heir, you can just come in without asking" said Thomas bitterly. Ross frowned and said "I won't if you don't want".

After a while Thomas said "Okay", Ross walked over and stood next to Thomas bed.

Thomas said nothing as he lay there, not looking at Ross.

"I am sorry about what was said... but you know how uncle Caleb is.. he never thinks before he speaks" said Ross softly,

"Sure" said Thomas with a sad sight,

"I am sorry again... and your important too Thomas" said Ross with a firm voice as if it was the most obvious thing in the world "Your the big brother I will never have, who I aspire to be like and admire",

"You mean it?" asked Thomas surprised and a bit skeptical, Ross gave a smile before nodding yes.

Feeling guilty Thomas got up from bed and hugged Ross, "I love you brother", "I love you too"

The doubts Thomas had left as it was very clear that the brotherly bond and love shared between the two was stronger than anything else in the world.

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Yes, despite the changes seems that Caleb can still be a jerk and yes Anna punched him again when Kristoff told her what happened. Any way please review and stay tuned for the next chapter as Ross will have a life changing experience that will define who will be in the future.**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Authors note: Welcome to another chapter of the red rose and the wolf. Here I humbly present this new chapter for all of you my darling readers to read to your hearts delight. :)**_

 _ **yubima-chan: True. Well that's usual in boys their age, there at that age where they know girls are different than boys but don't know how different. Yes she is. Lol.. true, I wonder what he was trying to say "wink" "wink".**_

 _ **Dreamsandimaginations: Glad you like it, well the reason for Anna's reaction is that she does not tolerate family excluding other family. As for Caleb, yes he is a jerk, but he is still learning not to be as it is difficult to change at the age he is in, especially after you were raised to be a certain way your whole life.**_

 _ **So enough about me blabbering, hope you all enjoy this new chapter and please review when done as your opinions matter to me and help me make the story better. :)**_

* * *

As tired as he was, Ross just could not fall asleep, no thanks in part to the cacophony of Thomas and Snehvide's combined snores. The sound itself really contrasted with his cousins' appearance. They had a cherubic countenance, what with their blond hair and blue eyes; but their snoring was loud enough to wake the dead. He yawned and tried to block out the noise with a pillow; but just as he was about to nod off, he got kicked back into consciousness, courtesy of Snehvide.

With a defeated groan, Ross sat up, staring up at the roof of the blanket tent he and his cousins had set up in one of the castle parlors where they had agreed to have a sleepover. While Thomas and Snehvide made for excellent company when it came to telling scary stories and sneaking sweets and pastries out of the royal kitchens, Ross never expected them to be a whole different story the moment they fell asleep.

Annoyed, he turned towards Snehvide, who was snoring the loudest, and shook her awake.

"I swear I didn't eat it, Mama!" she cried, startling Ross, who stumbled out of he mattress.

"Eat what?" yawned Thomas, who had woken up as well.

She blushed. "I dreamt that I ate the last piece of chocolate cake and Mama was very upset about it."

"Well that definitely explains why there's drool on my pillow," Thomas laughed.

In response, Snehvide hit him with said pillow. "Shut up…"

"Don't worry, Snehvide," Ross told her, "As much as Aunt Anna loves chocolate, I don't think she'd ever get angry over something like that, especially with you."

"True…" she tittered, "But what do we do, now that we're all awake?"

"Let's make a winter wonderland," Ross suggested.

"I don't think so…" Thomas said. "Remember how angry our parents were when we snuck out and turned the stairs into a snow slide?"

Ross' face fell. "You're right." He wracked his brain for more ideas. "Oh, I know! What if we sneak into the kitchen? Or better yet, the attic!"

"But I'm scared of the dark," Snehvide whined, hugging at her knees.

"Well then, what can we do?" Ross asked, having had run out of ideas.

"How about this?" Thomas asked. With a wave of his hand, he transformed his nightshirt into a regal court wear befitting his status as a prince. He now wore a white coat and blue trousers, both embellished with ornate frost patterns. His feet were shod in a pair of white boots, and to complete the look, he wore a dark blue capelet trimmed with snow white fur.

"Amazing!" Snehvide squealed, clapping her hands with glee. "My turn! Change me next!"

Thomas had no objection there. He waved his hand again, and soon, his sister was dressed in a fancy ball gown of crystalline blue complete with lace, ribbons, and snowdrop patterns adorning the hem. She gasped in delight as she skipped about and twirled her skirts.

"I wish I could do that," said Ross with a wistful sigh.

Snehvide stopped in her tracks. "Can't you?" she asked.

"I tried once," Ross replied. He winced at the memory. "It… …didn't end well."

"Oh, I remember that!" Thomas chortled. "That was the day you ended up setting yourself ablaze and gave everyone quite the fright. Come to think of it, it's a miracle the castle didn't catch fire."

Ross puffed out his cheeks and crossed his arms. "It wasn't that funny. I've never been so embarrassed in my life! Everyone from the stable boys and the scullery maids all the way up to my aunts and uncles were screaming bloody murder and trying to douse me with ice water. Even Mother was shooting snow at me."

"Oh, that!" Snehvide giggled. "I remember now! Isn't that the Flaming Gremlin Incident?"

"Yes, that's the one!" the other boy guffawed. He wiped at an imaginary tear. "Ah... Good times…"

"Of course, it'd be," Ross grumbled. "You're Perfect Thomas. Everything just comes easy for you."

"Now that's not true!" Thomas rebutted. "I work hard to make it happen, and you can too! You just have to put your mind into it."

"So you can't create at all?" Snehvide asked Ross. "Not even clothes?"

He shook his head. "Not even."

"Well, there has to be something else can you do with your magic!" she said, "You can't be limited to lighting up rooms and setting things on fire!"

"Snehvide!" Thomas hissed, elbowing her in the ribs.

"What? I'm just trying to– Oh…" Whatever rebuttal she had died in her throat upon seeing Ross fall silent. "I'm so sorry," she apologized, putting a gentle hand on his arm. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

"It's fine," he managed to smile, but even it the dim firelight, it was weak. It was clear that Snehvide's comment bothered him more than he let on. While he could perform magic like his mother and cousin, he often wished that his powers were more versatile like theirs. After all, one can only do so much with fire.

"I'm sure you'll find out in due time," Thomas said encouragingly. "It's just a matter of exploration and discovery."

Green eyes trained on the boy before him. "You think so?"

Thomas winked. "I know so."

* * *

From the distance boats could be seen making their way to the fords of Arendelle.

Watching from the balconies Lars turned to Elsa who was busy with her paperwork before asking "You think the kids are ready to join high society?",

"No... but we have no choice" said Elsa with a sight as she put the papers away "The trader ball is coming and their at that age where their expected to attend",

"You know why" said Lars crossing his arms,

"I know" Elsa barely hissed, the traders ball was just an excuse for the rulers and nobles to try and find betroth for their children. Of course Ross among others would be seen as a catch, being an only child he would inherit not only the throne but a large sum of wealth and property making him quite a catch.

Elsa did not like the idea of having her son be shown off as if he was prize cattle, Anna was not a fan of this either as she too wanted to her children to marry for love.

But sadly this was something that could not be avoided. The ball was to happen and with luck the night might be enjoyable.

* * *

Saying nothing Ross sighted as Gerda and Kai helped him get ready for the night. As they did he felt sick to his stomach, his hands were getting warm, looking at them he saw his palms were a bit lit up with unreleased fire.

"Get it together, control yourself" though Ross over and over before he heard some movement.

Looking he saw the door open and Elios walked in.

"Elios! You made it" said Ross happy to see his cousin,

"What? Though I was going to let you have all the spotlight?" said Elios as he strode over and ruffled Ross hair.

Now much older it was rather surprising that Elios was starting to look more like his mom, his facial features were soft like aunt Rapunzel, his eyes were surprisingly big, his nose however was like his dads.

Which made Ross snicker as he wondered if people got Elios nose wrong whenever they paint him.

"No, but I am glad your here" said Ross as he fixed his hair again then put on coat, his eyes trailed at his gloves which lay in on top of the vanity.

They were gray, a crocus elegantly embroidered on it and magical as far as Ross knew.

"You thinking about putting them on?" asked Elios crossing his arms,

"I don't want to" said Ross frowning as he stroke them "but-",

"No buts, if you don't want to wear them then don't" said Elios then added "Besides, you have excellent control",

"But I don't feel in control tonight" though Ross before reluctantly putting on the gloves... for extra security measures.

* * *

That night, the gala was rife with merriment. Guests could be seen talking, laughing, drinking, dining, and dancing to the light music being played by the court musicians. The castle staff had done an upstanding job in preparing the venue and the decorations gave it all a warm and enchanting atmosphere.

However, not everyone was having a good time. Though the ball was supposed to be his formal debut into high society, Ross did not feel comfortable at all. Unused to the presence of such a large throng of people, he was feeling rather fidgety and his palms had heated up to the point that they were clammy in his gloves. His unease was so severe that he had declined his cousins' invitation to dance with them. Instead, he elected to watch them by his mother's side and pray that he would survive the night unnoticed.

From where he stood, he could see Snehvide, Elios, Lunette, and Thomas enjoying themselves to the fullest as they danced to the waltzes that were now all the rage throughout Europe. Snehvide was paired with Elios, who was being quite the trooper by enduring the pain of having his youngest cousin constantly step on his toes. Lunette and her partner were doing a perkier version of the dance, whilst Thomas glided about with one of the visiting princesses in a manner that exuded elegance and perfection.

The heat was really building up in his palms now as they twitched in annoyance and frustration. 'Thomas looks and acts a lot more like Mother than I do,' he said to himself. 'Is it possible that I'm a changeling and Thomas is mother's real son?'

"Rosenrød…"

He turned to see Elsa looking at him with a concerned expression. "Yes Mother?" He smiled to alleviate her concern, but the discomfort behind it was evident.

"You have been rather quiet, is something wrong?" she asked, worried.

"I'm fine." He widened his smile, but Elsa was not convinced.

"Are you sure? You look unhappy."

"No, I'm fine! Really!" he insisted, praying that Elsa would not pry any further. To his relief, she did back off, but every now and then, she would glance at him pensively. Even Fenrir was very much concerned as he leaned over and nuzzled his head against Ross' palms.

The kind gesture did bring an iota of comfort to the young prince, and he manage to crack a more genuine smile, only for it disappear a few seconds later.

A man whom Ross recognized as the king of Bulgaria, approached him and his mother. In addition, he had brought along his young daughter in tow, much to his chagrin. He knew that the foreign monarch was not there for mere pleasantries, and just as he predicted, the king was already presenting the princess to his mother.

"If Your Majesty permits," the king said, bowing, "May I be so bold as to ask for your son to dance with my daughter?" Beside him, the princess curtsied

Ross looked at his mother hoping to get out of it, but when she nodded he knew there was no getting out of it.

With a deep breath Ross walked over and bow down, taking her hand he kissed it, praying that she did not notice his hands which were warm.

Walking together to the dance floor Ross though "I can do this, I can do this".

Once away the father moved next to Elsa, he opened his mouth to make a move to try and seduce the queen.

But as if guessing what he was going to do Fenrir went between Elsa and the king before giving a low growl, a warning, making him back off while Elsa smirked and mentally though "Good boy" as she was very glad she had allowed Fenrir to stay.

Meanwhile on the dance floor Ross felt more and more nervous and stressed as he danced with the girl.

Every now and then he looked at his feet. He had not danced much, especially with other people, so he feared to make a mistake in public.

As they turned Ross was not aware of his surroundings and ended up tripping on the person behind him causing him to fall backwards.

As he blindly reached he ended up pulling the girl down with him and slamming against the table, knocking all the deserts off of the table.

"I am sorry!" Yelled Ross as he got up and tried to help her up but pulled so hard he threw her against the ground.

As he helped her up Ross noticed how quiet it got. Looking up he noticed the look on peoples faces, they were shocked, disgusted, disappointed and whispering with disapproval.

Backing away Ross wanted to puke, he wanted to cry, many things at once. As he back away Ross looked around, he could not breath, he felt suffocated.

But did not know things were going to get much worse.

As he back away in an effort to leave he room he pressed himself against a nearby curtain... which caught on fire as soon as he made contact with it.

Shock turned to panic as everybody screamed while Ross uncles and some servants ran over to stop the fire. While they did Ross quickly ran away, not able to stay a second more.

"Ross!" yelled Thomas as he ran after his cousin along with Elsa and Fenrir.

* * *

Door burst open as Ross ran out of the castle and much to the shocked guards ran through the open gate and to the village.

He continued to run till he slammed against an adult.

"Hey watch were you-" began the adult only for it to die on his throat when he saw who had bumped into him "Its you!"

Ross back away hyperventilating as people noticed and began to crowd around him.

"Is it! Prince Rosenrod" said one stranger trying to get closer to Ross as the group crowded closer. It was very rare when they saw their heir, especially since its been 4 years since they last saw him hence why they were so exited to see him.

Overwhelmed by anxiety and fright, Ross tried to dodge the eager townsfolk only to be cornered against a cart loaded with hay. As his back pressed onto its wooden surface, his magic once again flared up, setting the cart alight. Immediately, the people gathered stepped back, shock, alarm, and even fear evident on their faces.

He stared at his hands in disgust and dismay. Why couldn't he be like his mother? Or even his cousin? At least they could use their powers to create something beautiful, and the people loved them for it. But not him. He was a liability to his family, to his people, to his country. All he ever did was burn and destroy.

With an anguished cry, he pushed past the crowd and dashed down the street leading out of town and into the forest. He wanted nothing more than the earth to open up and swallow him whole. There was no place in Arendelle for someone like him.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Oh no! Ross ran away! Will he be back? Will he be found?! What will happen?. You will have to wait and see, so please review and stay tuned for the next chapter.**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Authors note: Welcome to another chapter of the red rose and the wolf. Here I humbly present this new chapter for all of you my darling readers to read to your hearts delight. :)**_

 _ **yubima-chan: We shall see in this chapter.**_

 _ **Guest: Ross at this moment is 7 years old.  
**_

 _ **So enough about me blabbering, hope you all enjoy this new chapter and please review when done as your opinions matter to me and help me make the story better. :)**_

* * *

Having been on the road for a lengthy amount of time, Ross began to slow down his pace. His feet were beginning to ache and all he could see was an endless stretch of forest. At this point, he felt like he was walking in circles and it was getting darker and darker as the night progressed.

He summoned a ball of flame to light his path, only to extinguish it as he was reminded of the disastrous events that had transpired earlier that evening. Try as he might, he could not forget the horrified expressions of all those who saw his powers manifest. It was supposed to be a secret, privy only to him and his closest family and friends, but now all and sundry knew. How could he face anyone again after the revelation of such destructive potential?

Just then, a howl could be heard echoing into the distance. It was not uncommon to find packs of wolves roaming the forests of Arendelle, and they had been known to attack anyone who got too close to their territory. Immediately, a fireball flickered into life. He was tired, tired of failing and tired of running. If he had to be mauled by a pack of wolves, at least he'd die fighting.

"Awoooooo!" It was getting very close now.

Ross whirled around, brandishing the fire, only to come face-to-face with Fenrir. Before he could event react, the tame wolf had bounded over and pounced onto him, knocking him flat on his back. Fenrir then began to nuzzle and sniff at Ross, almost as if he was checking to make sure that he was unhurt.

"It's alright, I'm fine," Ross murmured, stroking the animal's soft fur.

A low whine rose from Fenrir's throat and he nudged his head towards the direction from whence he came as if say, "Let's go home."

"I can't," Ross whispered, his tone plaintive. "You know I can't."

Fenrir whined again as if to say, "Why not?"

"Because…" The boy prince blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall. "I'm good for nothing! With me gone, everyone can have a better life. Kai and Gerda wouldn't need to worry if I would accidentally set something on fire; Uncle Caleb and Uncle Lars wouldn't need to worry if I was taking my lessons seriously; and Mother wouldn't need to worry about having such an inadequate heir."

Green locked into green as Fenrir gave him a look that seemed to say, "Oh really?"

"Of course!" His chest heaved with emotion. "I mean, they have Thomas, don't they? _Perfect Prince Thomas_. He's already a better heir than me anyway. He's good at everything he does, everybody loves him, and he's everything I'm not."

Fenrir whined yet again and nuzzled Ross consolingly. Wiping his tears away, the boy hugged at him, comforted by the fact that there was at least one being in the world who would always stay by his side.

* * *

Watching from the sidelines, Thomas could not help but wonder how such a light-hearted event could have ended on such a horrible note. Fortunately, no one had been injured in the fire, and the castle staff had been able to extinguish it before it spiraled out of control. However, the actual repercussions were far more severe. Everyone was abuzz with the recent gossip over Ross, and Elsa was quite distraught despite Anna's best efforts to comfort her. Already, several search parties led by Erik, Anton, Franz, and Jürgen had been dispatched to search for the runaway heir.

"This is unbelievable!" he overheard one of the visiting princes remark, "I knew there was some off with that Rosenrød fellow, but I never pegged him to be such a freak!"

"Freak?" sneered another. "Demon, more like! Didn't you see how he shot flames out of his hands?"

"If he _is_ a demon, he sure is a pathetic one," laughed a third, "I mean, did you see how he ran away like a sissy?"

"You know, for someone with such keen observation skills, you'd think you'd be more aware of your surroundings."

The gossiping teenagers looked up in alarm. "P-prince Thomas!?" And before they could even react, Thomas pulled back his fist and laid all three of them flat on their backs.

Even so, dealing such punishment did not bring him satisfaction All he wanted was to see Ross safe and sound. With that in mind, he left without another word, determined to bring his cousin home. If anyone could find Ross, Thomas was certain that he would be the right person for the job.

* * *

"Fenrir, what's going on? Where are you taking me?" Ross asked, puzzled by his pet's odd behavior. They had only been resting for a short bit, when Fenrir suddenly picked Ross up and flung him onto his back before speeding off to God knows where.

With one hand, Ross clung tighter to the animal's thick fur as he used the other to maneuver the fireball illuminating their path. Just then, Fenrir came to an abrupt stop and stood at attention. Peering down at him, Ross noticed that the wolf was staring at the forest trail, which had branched off. He hopped down and followed it, only to find that the rest of the path was blocked by several overgrown bushes. Undaunted, he pushed past the foliage only to be greeted a most eerie sight.

Beyond the underbrush was a small clearing, but it was nothing like the picture of pastoral utopia. Every bit of plant life within the area was withered and dead, not even a single blade of grass grew. The entire place was fallow as if the very earth itself was cursed with barrenness.

Eerier still, a single, lonely stake stood right in the middle of that forsaken place, surrounded by a scattered pile of charred sticks. Blackened and rotting, it was a grisly testament to the lowest point of human cruelty.

Ross swallowed thickly as he realized what he just stumbled into. These were execution grounds! Based on the history books, people who had been accused of witchcraft or heresy were often burned at the stake, but not before being horrifically tortured to confess. Still, there was one other detail that disturbed him greatly. The scorch marks on the stake and sticks were not as faded, which could only mean that this method of execution had been in use long after it had been declared inhumane.

Just then, there was a low whine and Ross turned to see Fenrir looking quite subdued. "Something bad happened here, didn't it?" he asked, rubbing a gentle hand on the wolf's shaggy head. "Do you know what it could have been?

Fenrir did not respond, but merely tucked back his ears and turned away. Sensing his friend's discomfort, Ross decided to leave, but not before uttering a short prayer for the poor unfortunate soul who had lost his life in that godforsaken place.

* * *

Panic now gripped the residents of Arendelle castle as yet another search party was dispatched. This time, however, their objective was to retrieve Prince Thomas. After the fire, a headcount had been conducted to ensure that there were no casualties, and that was then that they discovered that Thomas was missing. Of course, it did not take them long to rule out that he had died in the fire as it had been affirmed that he had been safely evacuated during the blaze. This led everyone to conclude that like Ross, Thomas had run away.

So instead of one, there were now _two_ frantic, weeping mothers. Anna, in particular, had practically devolved into a fit of hysterics– screaming and ranting for the safe return of her "darling baby boy". Elsa, on the other hand, was near-catatonic and already a freezing wind had begun pick up. By this point, just about anything could set off the darker side of her wintry powers.

Just then, the doors burst open to reveal one of the castle guards. "Good news, your majesty!" he cried, "We found him! We found Prince Thomas!"

Immediately, Anna and Elsa rushed out the gates where they rendezvoused with a group of horsemen led by Franz cantering towards into the courtyard. And in Franz's arms was a small, pale, shivering figure bundled up in a heavy riding cloak.

"Thomas!" Anna cried, running up to him. Like Elsa, cold temperatures had never bothered Thomas, so to see him shaking like a leaf in the wind frightened her to no end. "What happened to him?" she asked Franz, "Why is he like this?"

"To be honest, I don't know," he replied. "He was already in a bad state by the time we found him out by the barrows."

"Anna!"

She turned to see Kristoff coming up from the path with Snehvide in tow. "I heard they found him," he panted, "Is he– Good Lord! Someone call a doctor! _Now_!"

As Thomas was being brought into the castle, accompanied by his parents and sister, Elsa turned to speak to her brother-in-law. "And what of Rosenrød?" she asked, "What about my son?"

"My sincerest apologies, Your Majesty," said Franz, "He has yet to be found. But rest assured that we will leave no stone unturned and that we _will_ bring him home safe and sound."

* * *

Once the duo had left the execution grounds, Fenrir seemed to have perked up considerably, something which Ross was thankful for. Even with his relatively sheltered upbringing, he loathed to see someone –be it human or animal– suffer, and it pained him when nothing could be done to help them.

Now, Fenrir had taken yet another path, and here, Ross noticed that the canopy was progressively thinning and the ground was getting rockier. He pulled his coat tighter around him, not that it did much good in the chilly September night. Ross had never had much tolerance for the cold, and to make things worse, the wind was picking up.

Fortunately, shelter came in the form of a cave, and judging by Fenrir's demeanor, this was where he wanted to take Ross all along as he let the prince down and bounded up to the entrance, beckoning his human companion to follow him inside.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Ross asked as he gingerly crept up to the mouth of the cave. "What if there's a wild animal, or worse?"

Fenrir merely gave him a look that seemed say, "Are you serious? What do you think I'm here for?"

The boy gulped, taking a cautious step inside. "Alright then. I trust your judgement."

* * *

"Wow…" Ross whispered, admiring the marvelous sight before him. Fenrir had been right to bring him into the cave. Everywhere he looked, there were crystals of all shapes and sizes glowing with the rainbow palettes of the Aurora Borealis. "This is amazing! How did you know about this cave, Fenrir?"

The wolf merely yipped, as if to say, "I just do."

Ross darted around and between the stalagmites and pillars, his laughter echoing across the subterranean chambers. "Well, I must say you really know how to pick a place," he said in between giggles. "It truly is magnificent." And that was the truth. Never in his life had he imagined that a place of such wondrous beauty existed within Arendelle.

Just as he was about to explore further, Fenrir suddenly padded over to him and began whine and tug at his sleeve.

"What is it, boy?"

The wolf clambered up a series of rocky ledges, and whined again, motioning for Ross to follow him.

He raised a brow. "Really? Are you sure?"

Fenrir howled lowly in response.

"Alright, if you say so…" Ross then climbed after his animal companion, taking great care to watch his step in the dim light. But even with such caution, it was not an easy climb as he had stumbled and tripped a few times. Fortunately, Fenrir was there to aid him along the way, and soon after, they were able to reach a crevice from which they could feel gusts of fresh air.

As he stepped through the opening, Ross found himself standing high up on a precipice where was greeted by the most breathtaking scene. There, he could see the rivers, and fjords that marked the landscape, and out in the distance, a silhouette of Arendelle castle could be see overlooking the capital city of Christiana like a silent sentry, all illuminated by the pale white glow of the full moon.

"It's beautiful…" he murmured, awestruck.

And as he continued to take in the view, his thoughts then flew back to his family. Surely they must be beside themselves with worry by now. After all, he did run away from home. But at the same time, he was also afraid of what punishment awaited him should he return home. Would they scold him? Or would they shun him? Perhaps they might even deem him as a monster and lock him up for good!

He shook his head, banishing these negative thoughts. No… They would never do that. They were his family. Even if they were to punish him, it would be because of love and concern, not fear and hatred. And his mother, yes, she would be angry, but most of all she would be sad and worried that he had fled. Even now, she must be praying for his safe return.

"I'm such a coward…" he lamented, hanging his head in shame. It was bad enough that he had caused some damage, but what made it worse was that he had run away instead of facing the consequences. Worst still, he had upset his mother. His father, bless his soul, would have be most ashamed if he knew what he had done.

' _Father, if you can hear me, please guide me. What do I do_?'

As to be expected, there was no response and his frown deepened. Having grown up fatherless, Ross was not sure of what to think of the man. Many a time, he had dreamt of meeting him, knowing him, understanding him. While he, along with the rest of Arendelle, did mourn over the late king, he also wanted to comprehend the grief everyone else felt when they remembered him. Yes, it did pain him that he did not have a father and he wished that he could have him back, but above all else, he just wanted to have personally known him instead of having to rely on hearsay.

Everyone often told Ross that the late King Hans was an upstanding man. Growing up, he had heard many stories regarding the man's bravery, humility, and above all, his overflowing kindness. He also seemed to have been quite the able ruler as the people often spoke of the many good things he had done for them during his short reign, and this reverence was evident by the multitude of flowers that were left on his memorial. In other words, his father was be everything that Ross was not.

He sighed. Surely his father would have never fled at the slightest hint of trouble. He would have confronted his problems with nary a complaint, not just out family loyalty, but also because it was the right thing to do.

"It's not right, what I did…" he whispered. Slowly, he began to make his way back into the crevice. "Come on Fenrir, let's go home." The wolf merely yipped in reply and licked his face, and Ross did not know any better, he could have sworn that Fenrir looked proud that he made this decision on his own.

Now as they were making their descent, Ross suddenly lost his footing and slipped. Just before he could he could meet his impending doom, someone caught him by the back of his shirt. "That was a close one," said his savior as he hoisted him up to safety. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yes…" Ross squeaked. "A b-bit shaken, but it'll pass. Thanks, uh…" His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates upon seeing the nonhuman features of his rescuer. "W-who and what are you?"

"My name is Grand Pabbie, and I'm a rock troll," replied the newcomer. "And you must be the elusive Prince Rosenrød."

Ross shrank back in alarm. "H-how do you know my name?"

"Everyone in the troll community knows who you are, Your Highness," Grand Pabbie replied. "And how could we not? After what your father did for us, we are eternally grateful to him and his progeny. But the better question is, what are you doing here?"

The little prince averted his gaze. "Er, well… You see, I sort of may have run away from home, then I got lost and Fenrir found me. He led me here, and just when I decided to return home, I fell, so here I am."

Grand Pabbie nodded in understanding. "I see… And who is this Fenrir, might I ask?"

"He's my pet wolf, but we got separated when I fell. Maybe if you could help me find him–"

"The honor is mine, Your Highness," said Grand Pabbie. "I'll help you find your pet, then take you home."

Green eyes glimmered with hope. "Really? You'd do that?"

"Of course!" replied the troll. "Your mother must be sick with worry. If she gets any more hysterical, there's the possibility she might unleash an eternal winter or worse."

Ross gasped in surprise. "She can do that?"

"And so much more," Grand Pabbie told him. "That is why it is imperative that you return home safe and sound."

"Awoooooo!"

"That's Fenrir!" Ross exclaimed. With a flick of his fingers, he increased the size of his fireball. "I'm here!" he cried, "I'm safe!"

Once boy and wolf were finally reunited, they were more than ready to return home and Grand Pabbie took it upon himself to accompany the two back to the castle. As they walked, Ross, ever the inquisitive one, began asking questions.

"Uncle Lars once told me that rock trolls live in caves and grottoes," he said. "If Fenrir and I intruded into your home, we didn't mean to and we're sorry."

The old troll laughed good-naturedly. "No need to apologize. You did nothing wrong."

"Oh…" Ross then scratched his arm. "So what were you doing in that cave?"

"I was searching for fire crystals," Grand Pabbie replied

"Fire crystals?" Ross echoed. "What are they?"

Grand Pabbie held up his pendant. "Fire crystals are very important in rock troll culture as they help us regulate our body temperatures as well as the flow of magical energy within us. Should there be an imbalance in either one, we would surely fall ill or even die."

"I didn't know that," the prince said earnestly. "I always thought that rock trolls were only weak against sunlight."

"Now you know," Grand Pabbie laughed. "That's the beauty of curiosity, you never stop learni–" Suddenly, he was cut short by a loud bang, and he stumbled to the ground, clutching at his chest. As Ross turned him over, he was horrified to find a good-sized crack on his chest, courtesy of a bullet shot. Shortly after, a group of men –castle guards, judging by their uniform– swarmed out of the woods, surrounding them.

"Your Highness!" cried the squad leader, "Thank goodness you're–"

"What did you do?" Ross shrieked, glaring up at him.

"We saved your life!" the man replied. "He was going to take you away and replace you with a changeling."

"No, he wasn't! He was taking me home, and you hurt him!" he half-screamed. He could feel white-hot emotions roiling up from within him. Already, the temperature was rising as his anger and sorrow intensified.

Grand Pabbie took the prince's hand in a reassuring grip. "Don't worry about me," he wheezed. "I'll survive. I've been through–" He gasped in agony as the crack widened further.

Ross began to cry. "I'm so sorry! This is my fault," he wailed. "If I had never run away, you would've never gotten shot in the first place." He collapsed onto Grand Pabbie's prone form, weeping bitterly.

Just then, something miraculous happened. As his tears fell, some of dripped down onto Grand Pabbie's wound, and much to everyone's wonderment, the crack began slowly mend itself until it disappeared altogether.

Fully healed, Grand Pabbie could only stare up at an equally wide-eyed Ross. "Your Highness…"

* * *

The citizens of Christiana were overjoyed to see the crown heir's return. Raucous cheers could be heard as Ross and Grand Pabbie, mounted on Fenrir, paraded through the main thoroughfare. With them were the guard squadron who had found them in the forest, and were mow being lauded as heroes by the townsfolk.

Upon seeing her son, the very first thing Elsa did was to run over to him and envelop him in her warmest embrace. "Ross, my little king!" she cried as she fussed over him, checking for any injuries.

"Yes Mother, I'm here…" he whispered, returning the hug. "I'm sorry I ran away."

"We'll discuss it first thing tomorrow," she said. "For now, I'm just happy to see you safe and sound."

"I'm glad to be home, Mother," he yawned.

"I know." She smiled and ruffled his hair. "It's been a long day for all of us. Let's get you to bed, shall we?"

* * *

"Your son is quite a remarkable child," Grand Pabbie observed as a sleepy Ross was ushered to his room by Theresa, Gertrude, and Yvonne. Everyone else had retired for the night, leaving him, the queen, and Fenrir alone in the Great Hall.

"I suppose he is," Elsa agreed. "I mean, you'd be hard-pressed to find another child who can shoot fire out of his hands like Rosenrød does."

"Not that," said the troll elder. "For you see, not too long ago, I had come across a prophecy that could be linked to your son. I warn you though that you must take it with a grain of salt as prophecies are notoriously vague and could hold multiple interpretations. After all, you are no stranger to that."

Elsa nodded, thinking back to the near-fatal mistake her father did when he had begun cloistering her away shortly after Anna's accident. As well-intentioned as he may have been, she could not deny that Agnarr had been far too hasty for his own good.

"Very well," said Grand Pabbie. He raised his arms and conjured up a magical mist with wispy images inside. "This is what the future holds for Prince Rosenrød:

" _A prodigal son, Arendelle's heir_

 _Lies and treachery he must beware._

 _A mystery to solve, six islands to save_

 _As well as his kin from the cursed grave._

 _Just when all is lost in that darkest hour_

 _He shall banish all ills with the sword of power._

" _His journey ahead is laden with pain and woe_

 _In this perilous path, are many a foe._

 _It shall transform him_

 _His destiny awaits._

 _The path has been chosen_

 _He shall meet his fate_."

Elsa blanched at the troll elder's words. "W-what are you saying? What does this mean? Does this mean that Ross will–?" Her anxious expression contorted into that of horrified anguish. "No… NO! Not Ross! Not my son!" She collapsed onto the floor, weeping bitter tears.

"Your Majesty, It's very vague–"

But in her sorrow, the queen was deaf to Grand Pabbie's pleas. "Leave!" she screamed, "Have you not troubled my family enough? You horrible troll! How dare you do this to me!"

"It's not my doing–" he tried to reason, "All these have been predetermined even before Prince Rosenrød came be. He was chosen by fate herself."

"Then I shall fight fate," she declared, her features taut with frozen fury. "In my weakness, I had lost my beloved Hans, and I'll be damned if I let that happen to Ross. As long as I live and breathe, no harm is to come upon my son, and I will fight tooth and nail to keep him safe. You'd best remember that."

"Queen Elsa–"

"I've heard enough," she hissed. "Leave now."

With a heavy heart, Grand Pabbie did as she commanded. At times, the gift of foresight could be quite the burden as the visions were not really 100 percent accurate. Rather than the concrete future, what he saw was the variable future as there were many other factors that could come into play. ' _But did I make the right choice by telling her_?' he pondered.

He could only hope that he did.

 _ **Beta writter: Nightrain and Brownstone.**_

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Yes Ross is home! This little adventure was needed, it is the first step for Ross as kids his age are still emotionally immature to make such decisions and take such action. So by taking making this decision on his own he has shown a great deal of maturity for somebody his age.**_

 _ **Now that that it is shown that trouble is brewing, right now the question is when will it happen... To know you will have to wait and see, so please review and stay tuned for the next chapter as Eugene and Rapunzel will ask Elsa something..**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Authors note: Welcome to another chapter of the red rose and the wolf. Here I humbly present this new chapter for all of you my darling readers to read to your hearts delight.**_ _ **So enough about me blabbering, hope you all enjoy this new chapter and please review when done as your opinions matter to me and help me make the story better. :)**_

* * *

Being grounded was the absolute worst, but then again, Ross had no one to blame but himself. It was he who had decided to run away, and because of his poor judgment, Thomas had gotten hurt. His Aunt Anna and Uncle Kristoff were kind enough to not hold him responsible, but still, Ross felt guilty for his cousin's condition. A week had gone by since the incident, and Thomas had recently woken up. Regardless things were getting quite lonely and boring for Ross. Not that it mattered, as he was grounded for a month, which meant plenty of remedial lessons, no desserts, no toys, no playtime, and definitely no playmates. Which, in turn, brought him back to his current situation where he was staring out the window, bored out of his mind.

There was the option to study, but where was the fun in that? Book learning had never been his strong point as there were times that he struggled to memorize dates, facts, and formulae. Then again, keeping the mind active was better than the doldrums brought on by ennui. With a groan, he turned to the stack of history books his Uncle Lars had brought for him and picked one up.

This one was entitled The Comprehensive List of European Monarchs throughout History, and as Ross begun to read, he came to a realization– Leaders came in a myriad of forms. For every successful monarch, there were also incompetent rulers, despots, and tyrants that stemmed from the same dynasty. Rome's Julio-Claudian Dynasty was a prime example. As he read on, he began wonder, was it possible that the same principlecould also apply to his family?

Well, there was one way to find out. Clapping the book shut, he set it aside and made his way to the library to find the two people who could help him shed more light on this.

Along the way, Ross passed by a glass case where a pair of ornately embroidered gloves lay on display. According to his mother, the gloves had once belonged to his father, the late King, and that said items had been instrumental in how the two of them became a couple. Ross always found that part odd, but nevertheless, it was nice to see his mother smile when she reminisced those idyllic days.

After a minute or so, he finally arrived at his destination, where sure enough, he found Lars hard at work, cataloguing some books. His uncle seemed to have been quite engrossed in the activity too because he was rather startled when Ross called out to him.

"Oh Ross, what a surprise!" he exclaimed, putting a hand over his chest, "I wasn't quite expecting to see you here."

"Really? Why? Who were you expecting?"

"That wolf of yours," Lars replied, shuddering. "He's got a nasty tendency of sneaking up on me and all. Gives me the willies, too."

Ross laughed at that. "Come on Uncle Lars, Fenrir just wants to be friends. You know he likes you."

"I can see that," said Lars. He adjusted his spectacles. "I just wish he could like me from a safe distance."

"Still clinging to that phobia, I see…" Ross and Lars turned to see Søren emerge from behind some shelves, chuckling lightly.

"Easy for you to say," Lars retorted, "You weren't the one who was almost mauled to death by a huge dog!"

Søren rolled his eyes at this. "Oh please, when has anyone ever considered a poodle huge?"

"To a three-year-old, it was!"

"You aren't three years old now, are you?" Søren pointed out."So there!" He then turned to Ross, paying no heed to his older brother's flabbergasted sputtering. "Anyway, what brings ourfavorite nephew to this little corner?"

Ross twiddled his thumbs, as he so often did when he was deep in thought. "Well, I was reading this book and it mentioned how there are good rulers and bad rulers in every dynasty, and that made me think… The House of Solberg has reigned over Arendelle for close to a thousand years, so would you say that the same rule applies to them too?"

"You mean about good monarchs and bad monarchs?" Søren asked.

Ross nodded. "Yes!"

"Oh dear…" Lars murmured, looking rather pale. "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear..."

"Uncle, is something wrong?" the young prince asked, his freckled features etched with concern.

"I-I'm fine," Lars told him. "It's just that it's a quite a strange question coming from you."

"I just want to know," Ross replied, "Won't you tell me? Please?"

Lars and Søren shared a look. They both understood that there would come a time that Ross would have to learn more about his family, they just did not expect for it to come so soon. As citizens of Arendelle, it was a crime to speak ill of the Royal Family under the law of lesè-majesté; but as scholars, it was also their duty to impart knowledge, especially if it was the truth.

"Are you sure about this?" Søren asked, "Just be warned, it's not a lovely story."

"I'm sure," Ross affirmed. "I think I have the right to know more about my family history."

Lars sighed resignedly. "Alright, if you say so. But your Uncle Søren is right, it is a very sensitive topic. Before anything else, promise us that you won't breathe a word this to anyone else, especially your mother."

"I promise."

The older man nodded tersely. "Very well then. Now if you'll all follow me please…"

* * *

"A mother's work is never done," so goes the old adage, and as the Queen of Arendelle, Elsa was essentially the mother of the nation. Hardly a day went by when her schedule was not swamped, and that morning was no different. Following the disaster last week, the mayor of Christiana, along with the representatives of the city's various business guilds and trade associations had gathered to the castle to request an audience with her.

One by one, they filed into the room and bowed in salutations. Normally, such an audience was nothing

out of the ordinary, but their somber expressions, compounded by last week's incident bothered the queen. Her fingers dug into the armrest as she braced herself for the inevitable. Thetownsfolk were all going to denounce her son, she knew it.

But what happened next surprised her greatly.

Stepping forth, the mayor began to speak. "First of all, we would like to thank Her Majesty for her generosity in regards to the damages wrought by the fire last week, and for that we once again pledge our eternal loyalty to you. Long live Queen Elsa!"

"Long live Queen Elsa!" chorused the guild leaders.

"Secondly, regarding the source the fire, we will admit that it was a great shock to see that it came from the Crown Prince himself. Nonetheless, we bear him no ill will for we know it was not his intention. If anything, he is probably avenging his father and that this is God's punishment to us." Having finished his speech, the mayor hung his head in shame and the guild leadersfollowed suit.

"Pardon?"

"It was our fault, wasn't it?" asked the leader of the merchants' guild. "Because we had been so easily swayed by false accusations and killed an innocent man, his blood cries for justice, and it has come in the form of his son. Even if he does not forgive us, even if he burns us for our sins, we will stillswear our loyalty to him and we vow to serve him until our dying breath."

Elsa was dumbstruck. She had expected them to panic, to riot, to clamor for her son's head as she tried to placate them and reassure them that Ross' powers were in control, so to see them prostate themselves before her was quite an unexpected development.

And an unprecedented complication.

"He's not out for vengeance," she assured them, though her tone still lacked warmth. "What happened was a complete accident, for you see, like me, the Crown Prince also has elemental magic." As if to drive her point further, she waved her hand, generating a light dusting of snow.

"But Your Majesty, if you have the power of ice and snow, how is it that prince can control fire?" asked the head of the fishmongers' union.

"It just happens," she replied, not wanting to reveal too much. "Neither my parents nor sister had any magical aptitude, and yet here I am. The same applies to the prince's father."

Satisfied with her answer, the audience was quickly adjourned.

'Well, that definitely went better than expected…' As nice as it was to have he people be so accepting, so could not bring herself to trust their word. After all, they had already broken it before when they unjustly executed their king, despite them pledging their allegiance to him, so there was always that possibly that history could repeat itself.

Now that she was alone Elsa was more than ready to take fulladvantage of this moment of solitude, but before she could do so, the door swung open as Kai announced the entrance of Princess Rapunzel and Prince Eugene.

"Hey…" Rapunzel began, in an awkward attempt to break the ice, "How are you holding up?"

"Never better," she replied, her voice taut. "So what brings the two of you here?"

The two Coronan royals shared a nervous glance at her testy tone, but soldiered on, nonetheless. "Look," Eugene began, "I know you and King Frederick aren't on very good terms right now, but Raps and I want you to know that we don't share his sentiments towards you. Despite everything, you're still family and we care about you."

Elsa's expression softened a little, but still, she was not so easily swayed. "That's all well and good, but what is it that you reallywant, Eugene?"

He looked at her in mock outrage. "Oh come on! What makes you think I only say nice things when I–" Seeing that the queen remained unmoved, he huffed in defeat. "Fine! You got me…But just so you know, everything I said was true. Neither Raps nor I blame you for what happened to Hans, but if you want me to be straightforward, I will. The reason we came here was to ask if you'd let us take Ross on a short trip with us to Corona."

Elsa looked like she had just sucked on a lemon. "Excuse me?" While she knew that she could trust her Coronan relatives to keep Ross happy and healthy, the idea of him being away did not just sit well with her. He was the last living link to her late husband, and it did not help that her own uncle made himself clear that he though that she was incapable of protecting her own son.

"After everything that happened, we just thought that it would be nice if he could experience a change in atmosphere and maybe unwind a little," answered Eugene. "He's still quite young, but it's clear that he's feeling the pressure to live up to everyone's expectations. I think a short vacation is in order. One can only stay a kid for long."

"It's only for a month," Rapunzel implored. "He'll be back before you know it."

Elsa wanted nothing more than to deny her cousins' request, but Eugene did have a point. Prior to the traders' ball, she had noticed that Ross had been looking rather stressed. With a heavy sigh, she relented.

"Very well," she said, "He can go. But just for extra precaution,he will be accompanied by a few members of his paternal family as well as his personal physician."

"That's fine," Rapunzel told her, "We'll be more than happy to accommodate. Trust us when we say Ross is in good hands." That having been said, she and Eugene left with high hopes that this could be the first step in mending the broken bond between Frederick and Elsa.

* * *

Later that night, Ross found it rather difficult to fall asleep. Though it had been mostly swept under the rug, several foreign sources indicated that the House of Solberg did indeed have its fair share of less-than-savory monarchs. Solveig the Foolish… Bjorn the Squanderer… And worst among them was King Ragnar, whose epithet "the Bloody", could not even be whitewashed by Arendelle's most loyal historians.

And then there was his father's genealogy… From what Uncle Lars and Uncle Søren told him, his father was not a de Mointeuin by birth, but rather, a Westergaard who had been adopted by that family, making Ross the heir to not one, but two royal dynasties.

Still it did not sit well with him. At one point, the WestergaardDynasty had turned the Southern Isles into the crown jewel of Scandinavia, but in its final years, it had become a shell of its former glory, and its final rulers– his biological grandparents, a symbol of tyrannical hubris.

Yes, his mother had proven that even a woman can be a fairly capable ruler, and it was said that his father had been quite the reformer, given how the majority of the populace held him in high regard. But when it came down to it, both lineages had their shining paragons and their black sheep, and it was for that reason that Ross could not help but worry. Just as he had the potential to become a capable monarch, there was also a possibility that he could become an incompetent despot.

He burrowed deeper under his covers, in hope that its warmth would banish those troubling thoughts. Just then, the door creaked open and in walked Queen Elsa, who had come to bid her son good night.

"Good evening, Mother," he greeted.

"Good evening, Ross." She gracefully glided over to his bedside and tucked him in. "Have I ever told you how much you look like your father?" she asked, brushing a gentle hand over those auburn locks.

"Yes, you have," he replied, leaning in to her comforting touch.

"Yes, you look like him," Elsa repeated, "But at the same time, I see myself in you too."

Now that came as a surprise. Ross was often told that he greatly resembled the late King Hans, not just physically, but in terms of character as well, so it was interesting to know that he and his mother shared something in common as well.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes, a lot more than you think," Elsa hummed, "You, Ross, are the perfect blend of your father and me. Granted, you have his charisma, so I'll give him that; but for the most part, my dreams, my ambitions, my emotions, they also live in you." She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "You have no idea how much your father and I wanted you. For many years, we prayed, hoping that you would come soon. Perhaps the time had not come or maybe you weren't quite ready just yet. But when you finally came, I can definitely say it was the happiest day of my life."

For a moment, Ross was quiet, thoughtful, and when he spoke again, his voice trembled with longing. "Did Father ever meet me?"

"No…" Elsa answered, her tone gentle yet heavy with grief. "He didn't even know you were coming. I was on a business trip abroad when I learned that I was pregnant with you, but when I returned home to break the good news..." Despite her best attempts to contain herself, her breath began to hitch. "…he was gone."

Noticing that his mother's knuckles were beginning to frost over, Ross took her hands into his warm ones. "I'm sorry…" he whispered. "I didn't mean to make you sad."

"Don't be, my darling…" she told him, patting his hand. "As long as we keep his memory alive, Father will continue to live on.

"Now," she added, switching her voice to a more cheerful, cajoling tone, "I was speaking with your Aunt Rapunzel and Uncle Eugene, and they asked me if I could let you spend the next month or so in Corona."

"And I guess you said no," Ross replied rather glumly, knowing that his mother would never allow him to go on such a trip.

Elsa's lips quirked into a cheeky grin. "Actually, I agreed."

"Wait, what? Really?" Ross could not believe his ears. He had to be dreaming. His mother, his ever-watchful mother was actually going to let him go on a trip? And to Corona, no less!

The queen tittered, amused by her son's comically dumbfounded expression. "Yes," she told him. "After everything that happened, we decided that a change of atmosphere might be good for you. And with Elio and Lunette around, I know you'll have no shortage of playmates."

Upon hearing the news, Ross was beside himself with joy. "Oh thank you, Mother!" he squealed, wrapping his arms around Elsa's waist.

"You're welcome," she replied, smiling at him with all her love. "Of course, you won't be going alone– Your Uncles Lars, Erik, and Anton, as well as your Aunts Theresa, Gertrude, and Yvonne will be accompanying you as well. All I ask is that you be on your best behavior and mind your manners."

"I will," he promised.

"Good," she said. "Just know that your happiness is what matters to me the most; and it's what would have mattered mostto your father as well." She bent forward and kissed his forehead one more time. "Sweet dreams my little king, tomorrow will be yet another day."

But with one more query at the tip of his tongue, Ross was not quite yet ready to turn in. "Mother?" he called.

"Yes?"

"Would–" He paused momentarily before deciding to continue. "Would Father have loved me had he met me?"

"Such a silly question, of course he would have," Elsa replied."Good night, Rosenrød. See you tomorrow."

"Good night, Mother," he yawned. With his mother'sreassurance, whatever insecurities Ross had quickly vanished, at least for the meantime. His mind now at ease, it did not take long for him to enter the realm of dreams once he laid his head.

* * *

Hidden deep inside the Valley of the Living Rock was the labyrinth of fumaroles known as the Lokiskjele geyser fields, and it was there that Grand Pabbie sat, meditating. Lokiskjelewas one of the most hallowed places in rock troll culture as it legend had it that it was the point of origin for the very first rock trolls originated from that very spot, and it was there that troll magic was at its most powerful and most efficient.

Staring into the swirling tendrils of steam, Grand Pabbie focused harder still, hoping his magic could help turn the tides of fate. After all, several prophecies had been subverted before, so why would it be any different time around.

Just then, he heard a low whine. He turned to see a lone wolf, whom he recognized as Ross' pet Fenrir, standing before him. It was quite an odd sight too as most living creatures tended to keep away from rock troll territories.

Suddenly, Grand Pabbie suddenly felt a twinge. He had felt it before in his last encounter with Fenrir, but back then, he did not give it much thought. This time, however, he could sense it– There was magic afoot; and it felt dark, vile, and most alarmingly, very powerful. And as the wolf drew closer, Grand Pabbie could practically feel its foul energy suffocating him.

'A curse?' he mumbled to himself. He reached out to Fenrir and began to concentrate his own energy in an attempt to do acountercurse, only to be knocked back by original did this was truly a master of the black arts. Despite this, he was able to make a most intriguing discovery… King Hans of Arendelle was alive.

 _ **Beta writter: Nightrain and Brownstone.**_

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Ohhhh off to Corona we go! What will happen there? Sorry, cannot say. lol**_ _ **To know you will have to wait and see, so please review and stay tuned for the next chapter as Eugene and Rapunzel will ask Elsa something..**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Authors note: Welcome to another chapter of the red rose and the wolf. Here I humbly present this new chapter for all of you my darling readers to read to your hearts delight.**_ _ **So enough about me blabbering, hope you all enjoy this new chapter and please review when done as your opinions matter to me and help me make the story better. :)**_

 _ **Dreamsandimaginations: You will see...**_

 _ **Yubima-chan: Lol That's good, I am happy for you. :)**_

 _ **Any way, sit back and enjoy this new chapter my lovely readers. :)**_

* * *

Nine days after he had been found comatose, Thomas finally woke up, much to the relief and joy of his family, both immediate and extended. However, he was still quite weakened after his ordeal, and had to remain bedridden for an extended period of time. Fortunately, he was never in want of company for his family would visit him daily.

Snehvide was one such person, and on that day, she was hard at work, making a get-well card for her brother. "Almost…" she grunted, trying to hold her brush steady as she painted in a portrait of Thomas.

"AAAUUGGGHHH!" The sound of a man screaming nearly made Snehvide jump out of her skin. She was so startled by the sudden noise that her hand slipped, ruining her drawing in the process. Annoyed yet curious, she peeked out into the hall to investigate, only to see the King of Bulgaria storm out of Elsa's study, red-faced with anger and embarrassment.

"I HAVE NEVER MET A WOMAN WHO– DAAARRRGH!"

As she watched him stomp off ranting and raving, Snehvide noticed that the man had a very noticeable hole on the seat of his pants.

Her curiosity getting the best of her, she entered her aunt's study to find Fenrir trotting over to Elsa, looking pleased as punch as she scratched him behind the ears. And in his mouth was a piece of ragged fabric that roughly matched that of the Bulgarian king's pants.

Snehvide raised a brow in confusion. "Forgive me for interrupting, Aunt Elsa, but what just happened? Why did the King of Bulgaria leave screaming?"

"It's nothing to be too concerned about, dear. He just found out that he's allergic to dogs when Fenrir decided to play with him," the queen said, smiling kindly at her niece. "Didn't you?" she asked Fenrir, playfully pinching his massive jowls. "You just wanted to play with that vain, pompous, self-centered king, right?"

The wolf merely bayed and wagged his tail.

Snehvide giggled at that. "He must've been quite the character, huh? You must be glad that you decided to let Ross keep Fenrir after all."

"Well, I must admit that I can be wrong at times, but don't tell your cousin I said that." She laughed and winked mischievously. "So tell me, dear, how is Thomas doing?"

"He's doing fine," Snehvide replied, "But at the same time, he seems… ….different."

"Oh?" Elsa looked up at the girl concernedly. "How so?"

"It's just that he's…" Snehvide paused, nervously drumming her fingers. "Erm… He's been acting rather oddly since the night of the ball. You know how he's always been rather standoffish? Well, the other day, I invited him to play with Elios and Lunette, and he said, and I quote, 'I need to study. I don't have time for such nonsense.'" Her blue eyes brimmed with tears. "I've never seen him be so mean before. What happened to him, Aunt Elsa?"

"Perhaps he was just having a bad day," Elsa supplied. "After all Snehvide, he did have quite the ordeal. People sometimes lash out when their sad, scared, or hurt."

"I suppose so, Aunt Elsa," said the little princess, "But…" She sighed, hanging her head dejectedly. "I just wish he wouldn't shut everyone out. No one deserves to be alone."

Elsa's smile faded. Hearing Snehvide's words brought painful memories of her self-imposed isolation after Anna's accident. Although it did not last very long, the loneliness that stemmed from that period had left quite an impact on her. And even after that, her position as crown princess adhered her to a strict regimen dedicated to lessons in politics, economics, and diplomacy, leaving her with vastly less time to spend with her sister. It further escalated when Anna ultimately ran away from home after that fateful argument with their father.

Compared to her, Ross and Thomas' upbringing, though still strict, was far more relaxed in that they were allowed to enjoy their childhood. Between the two princes, Thomas had always been more serious with his lessons, and that was fine, but to neglect his own sister for that? No, that would not do.

She placed a comforting hand on her niece's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll talk to him when I see him later. For now, why don't we spend the day together?"

"Really?" Snehvide asked, her eyes sparkling with new hope.

"Yes," Elsa nodded. "I'm not particularly busy today. We can invite your mother and have a girls' day out. What do you say to that?"

"Thank you, Aunt Elsa!" Snehvide squealed, tackling the queen with a tight hug. "I'll tell Mama right now!" With that, she sped out of the room to relay the good news, feeling happier that she had since the last few days.

* * *

Preparing for a vacation was a lot harder than Ross imagined. Even packing his luggage turned out to be quite the chore. At first, he had packed too little, and then he had packed too much. It was not until when his mother and Aunt Theresa intervened that he was able to successfully pack his things – a months' worth of clothes, a few toys, and at Uncle Lars' insistence, his textbooks. After one final inspection to make sure that he did not forget anything, Ross locked his trunk shut and proceeded to lug it out of his room.

It just so happened that Caleb was passing by when he noticed his struggling nephew. Immediately, he rushed over to help. "Here, allow me," he offered, hoisting the trunk over his shoulders.

"Isn't it too heavy, Uncle?" Ross asked, concerned.

"Not at all!" Caleb boasted. "Nothing's too much for my favorite– Ouch! My back!"

"Uncle!" the prince cried in alarm. "What happened?"

"Ooh! I think I threw out my back," came the pained response.

"Just stay put, Uncle! I'll get Dr. Li!" Ross then dashed off, calling for help. It did not take long for him to find Dongzhu, who was now employed as the palace physician, and as soon as he was alerted, the doctor

immediately set to work on Caleb's back, but not before reprimanding him on overexerting himself at his age.

"What were you thinking?" he scolded, "You know you're no longer a spring chicken. You should have called a manservant or something. I swear, if you ever pull another stunt like this, it's the acupuncture needles for you!"

So after calling for some assistance, Ross' luggage was promptly carted downstairs and loaded onto the waiting coach.

"So…" Caleb began awkwardly, "Corona, huh?"

"Yes," Ross replied, beaming. "I still can't believe you're coming despite your busy schedule. Will Mother really be alright without?"

"You mustn't underestimate your mother, Rosenrød," Caleb told him sternly but kindly. "It would do you a lot of good to know her abilities as a leader and a politician. As she has been groomed to rule from a young age, she's a lot more capable than she lets on, not to mention that your Aunt Anna and other uncles will be there to provide her assistance should she need any."

"Whoa…" Ross gasped, starstruck. "Mother is really an amazing woman, isn't she?"

Caleb chuckled and fondly ruffled the child prince's auburn locks. "That she is."

Soon both uncle and nephew reached the courtyard where they found Elsa talking to Rapunzel. Upon seeing her son, Elsa walked up to him and enveloped him into a warm hug. "Have a safe trip," she said, her voice heavy with emotion.

"I will, Mother," Ross replied, trying not to cry himself as he realized this would be the first time he would be away from her.

"Remember to mind your manners, listen to your aunts and uncles, write as often as you can, and.. …and…" And before Ross could even respond, he soon found his shirt wet with tears as his mother broke down and cried.

"Don't worry, Mother," he assured her, "I'll be back before you know it."

"I know, I know," Elsa sniffled as she tried to compose herself. "Just be careful and remember that no matter what, I love you."

"I love you too, Mother," he chimed. After one final hug, both mother and son separated and but not before bidding each other a fond farewell.

* * *

Given its short distance from the castle, it not take long for the royal entourage to reach the docks. They were then ushered by a squadron of Coronan guards to the crown schooner _The Beautiful Daughter_.

As he climbed aboard, Ross could not help but feel awestruck and excited. Although he was no stranger to ships, this was the first time he had ever been on one. He couldn't quite put a finger to it, but the very idea of sailing just thrilled him so. Then again, it had to be in the blood. His aunts and uncles often told him stories of how his father had once been a valiant admiral, and he could only imagine the exhilaration the man must have felt as he traversed across the seven seas.

"Ho-lee Christmas! I don't believe it…"

Ross turned to see Elios staring at him, mouth agape. "Pardon me?"

"This! You actually being here! In the flesh!" the older boy crowed, pointing to Ross in a grandiose, sweeping manner. "Mom said that you'd be coming, but to think that Aunt Elsa actually agreed to let you come is nothing short of a miracle."

Ross laughed at that. "Well, she did and I'm here, so I guess miracles do happen."

"Miracle or no, I'm glad you came." Elios slung a friendly arm around his cousin's shoulder's. "Now that you're here, we can really cut loose. I can't wait to show you the finer things in life."

"Such as?"

"Having fun, making mischief…" Elios replied, animatedly listing each one with his fingers, "…and my personal favorite, having fun while making mischief; you're going to love it all!"

"But wouldn't all those things get us into trouble?" Ross pointed out. Having had had a stricter upbringing, he wasn't really too keen on pulling pranks.

Elios grinned cheekily. "Only if we get caught. From now until the end of your visit, you're going to be my right-hand man." He gleefully rubbed his hands, his eyes glinting in anticipation of future antics. "Oh, this is going to be really good!"

"Yeah…" Ross chimed rather half-heartedly. "Peachy…"

* * *

So far, the journey to Corona had been rather smooth. Ross had spent the duration of the trip playing with Elios and Lunette, studying under Lars' watchful eye, and enjoying the bracing sea breeze with his uncles and aunts, both paternal and maternal. However, there was one other activity that trumped above all the others…

It was here on this trip that Ross realized that he quite enjoyed sailing. The wind in his hair, the vast blue expanse as far as the eye could see – it brought him a sense of freedom unlike any other. When he was not with his family, he could often be seen chatting with the guardsmen and sailors, whom were more than happy to entertain his questions. They even took the time to teach him the tricks of the trade, including steering the ship, much to Lars' alarm.

After ten whole days out at sea, _The Beautiful Daughter_ finally reached its home port. As they were disembarking, Ross noticed that his paternal uncles were more vigilant than usual. As they were loading the luggage onto the coach, he noticed that they seemed rather tense and were constantly looking over their shoulders, as if they were expecting someone to attack them from behind. This odd behavior extended even to Theresa, Gertrude, and Yvonne, both of whom were constantly hiding behind their fans.

Lunette cast a worried glance at her cousin. "Are they alright?" she whispered. "They've been quite jumpy even before we've arrived."

"I'm not sure," Ross whispered back. "I asked them about it once, but they just clammed up even more.

As the coach made its way towards Corona Castle, Ross took the time to admire the view as he passed by the stalls, shops, and houses that lined the winding streets with Elios and Lunette providing commentary along the way. Peeking out of the window, he even saw a few of the older residents wave at him, much to his confusion, but he took it in stride and cheerily waved back.

When Ross and his family finally reached their destination, they were then greeted with great pomp and circumstance as befitting of their status, and heading the welcoming committee was none other than King Frederick and Queen Arianna themselves.

"Welcome to Corona, dear nephew." And with that, they pulled him into a warm embrace, showering him with every ounce of affection they had.

 _ **Beta writter: Nightrain and Brownstone.**_

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Finally! Ross arrived to Corona. What will happen there? Will broken bonds be somehow mended? Sorry, cannot say. lol**_ _ **To know you will have to wait and see, so please review and stay tuned for the next chapter..**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Authors note: Welcome to another chapter of the red rose and the wolf. Here I humbly present this new chapter for all of you my darling readers to read to your hearts delight.**_ _ **So enough about me blabbering, hope you all enjoy this new chapter and please review when done as your opinions matter to me and help me make the story better. :)**_

 _ **Any way, sit back and enjoy this new chapter my lovely readers. :)**_

* * *

Corona was quite different from home, that much Ross could tell. The people there seemed livelier, more expressive; and compared to the modest hues that he often saw in Arendelle, Corona seemed more vibrant, more colorful. Maybe it was because of the warmer climate, but everywhere he turned, he could see friendly, pleasant faces and a rainbow's worth of color in every shade hue, and tone imaginable.

Not to say that there was anything wrong with Arendelle, but what he had seen so far was a pleasant change in what he was normally accustomed to.

When Ross got up the next day, he was brimming with excitement. Uncle Eugene had promised to take him and his cousins on a carriage tour of the capital city Branaüand its neighboring countryside, something that he had been looking forward to even before the onset of his visit.

Once he was groomed and dressed, Ross then slipped on his gloves and immediately made his way to the dining hall to have breakfast with his aunts, uncles, and meal itself was a traditional Coronan breakfast spreadconsisting of sweet sausages, buttery bread rolls, eggs – hard-boiled, soft,-boiled, and poached, cheese, honey, jam, milk, and coffee. Ross dug into his food with gusto, savoring every bite; and for a moment, everyone was far too busy eating to even talk.

Elios was the first to clear his plate. "All done!" he declared, jumping up from his seat. "I'm going to get ready now."

"Hey, slow down there, Champ! No need to rush!"Eugene chided. "The day's barely started and…" He sighed, noticing Elios' half-full glass. "…do try to finish your milk."

"But I hate the stuff…" he whined. However, whatever protest he had died and he did as he was told after a singlestern look from Rapunzel.

After breakfast, Eugene ushered the children and Ross' aunts to the castle's main entrance where a carriage was already waiting outside. However, just as he was leaving, Ross noticed that his uncles had remained behind withKing Frederick. They were deep in discussion and judging by the snippets of their conversation, it was apparent that they were locked in a heated argument.

"What was that all about?" Ross inquired, looking up atEugene.

The Coronan prince blanched. "What was what?"

"You know, that!" Ross replied, pointing towards the breakfast room. "Why is Uncle Frederick yelling at Uncles Caleb, Erik, Lars, and Anton?"

"It's nothing too serious," Eugene lied. Truth be told, there was no love lost between him and Hans' brothers' either, but for the sake of his children and in memory of his dead friend, he had chosen to be civil with them and maintain his friendship with Elsa. Frederick, however, was a different story altogether. "Just a minor spat. I'm sure they'll be able to work it out."

Ross did not look too convinced, but decided not to press the issue, so he wisely held his tongue.

"So, are you ready to go?" Eugene asked, his tone unnaturally chipper.

"Yes, but why take the carriage?" Ross replied, "The city center is just right outside the castle. We could just walk there."

"True," said the brunet, "But there's something else I want to show you."

"What is it?"

Eugene chuckled at his nephew's eager curiosity. "You'll just have to wait and see."

* * *

So far Ross was having the time of his life. Never had he felt so liberated. Back home in Arendelle, he often stayed with the castle premises, only leaving on rare occasions. Even then, he was heavily chaperoned by either his mother or any one of his relatives. However, among them, his aunts were probably the most lenient, and he was always happy to have them watch over him. Even now, on this trip, though they were there to help Eugene keep an eye on him, he had been given enough leeway to explore and just be a child.

For that morning, that had already gone to all sorts of places – the farmer's market, the local mill, and much to the children's delight, the alchemist's workshop, where the children met up with Varian, the proprietor and a friend of Eugene and Rapunzel.

"Ready for one more stop?" Eugene asked as he helped Ross into carriage.

"Where to?" he asked excitedly.

"You'll see…"

And so, the carriage began its journey out of town, trundling past golden fields of wheat, picturesque meadows, and quaint little peasant cottages. It made its way down a pleasant, fertile valley until it reached its destination – a stately chateau built of stone.

It was a beautiful building, that much Ross could tell, but it looked somewhat dreary and deserted. Heavy drapes hung by the windows, what little of the interior he could see was obscured by the shadows, and the stone steps had weeds growing in the cracks. It clearly had not been lived in for quite some time. By contrast, the gardens and fields were clearly well-maintained by judging by the handful of servants dutifully working outside. And upon seeing the visitors alight from the vehicle, they stopped and bowed.

"What is this place?" Ross queried as he peered up at the edifice.

However, Eugene did not reply. He simply acknowledged the servants' greeting and requested for the master key. Once it was in his hands, he then proceeded to open the door. "Women and children first," he said, motioning for his traveling companions to enter.

The moment Ross stepped into the foyer, he wasbombarded with a wave of nostalgia despite having never set foot in the place before. Everything about the chateauevoked the feeling of home and family, from the elegant staircase, that greeted the guests, right down to the dusty throw rug by the hearth.

Bit by bit, his wanderlust began to take over as he explored every nook and cranny of the home. There was a library filled with all sorts of books, a sitting room adorned with rare works of art, a music room equipped with an array of fine instruments, and a sun room that now sadly held the withered remains of what used to be exotic plants. From what he could glean about his surroundings, whoever once owned the place had to have been a person of great wealth and taste.

Now out of all the rooms in the chateau, there was one inparticular drew his interest. It was a bedroom on the second floor with ivory-colored wallpaper and green carpets. It was modest in size, but still well-furnished. Thefurniture itself was fairly standard – a canopy bed made of dark-stained oak, a side table, a couple of armchairs, a chest of drawers, and a work desk among others. It was, by all means, a very ordinary room, but for some odd reason he could feel a connection with its last occupant.

And by the looks of it, whoever lived in that room must have been some sort of explorer. Star charts and maps, yellowed with age, lay scattered on the dusty work desk.A bookshelf laden with tomes and scrolls stood next to it, and in a nearby corner sat a large globe of the world,covered in cobwebs.

However, the most interesting item in that room was an elaborate yet peculiar clock that seemed to be of foreign craftsmanship. It was shaped like a Chinese pagoda with a mechanical nightingale perched on top. It seemed to be in need of tuning though as it no longer accurately told time, but it was still running. When the long hand struck twelve, the nightingale began to sing and the pagoda opened to reveal little moving figurines who played a small drum before returning inside.

Ross laughed in delight, amused by this strange little machine. But just as he was about to reach out and turn the long hand back to twelve, Eugene came in.

"This was his room, you know," said the older man, his voice heavy with emotion.

"His room?" Ross parroted, confused.

"Your father's…" Eugene expounded. "He was a good man – noble, brave, and loyal to a fault." He sniffled. "He was a real charmer with the ladies, too." He chuckled wryly. "Not like me, of course, but a very close second. After all, he was able to successfully court your mother."

Eugene's words had Ross' full interest now. This was his chance to know more about his father, and he knew thatthe Coronan prince would be more open to disclosing information that his mother or Arendellian relatives could not. "I didn't know he lived in a house like this," he remarked.

"Why wouldn't he?" said Eugene. "Before marrying your mother, your father was a count, then later a duke, andwealthy one at that. He was a member of the Corona royal court and a famous admiral, to boot. Fearless in his exploits, but again only second to me. And did I ever tell you of the time he...?"

* * *

It was sunset when Ross and Eugene finally returned to the castle. They had wound up spending the whole day at the de Mointeiun Chateau, and so far it had been quite the experience for the young prince. He got to enjoy the visit to his father's childhood home; but more importantly, he felt that he was able to form a connection and grow closer to the man, even if it was through his past.

Before they left, Ross and Eugene had also passed by the family gravesite to pay their respects to Amelia, Alexander, Galen and Méline. It was a tragedy that they died never knowing whatever became of Hans, but at the same time, Ross knew that by now, they must have been reunited with his father, all earthly ills forgotten.

'Still, they must've really good folk for everyone to speak so highly of them,' he noted. Green eyes glinted with resolve and determination. 'I hope I can be the kind of person they were too. Please… Watch me…'

After dinner that night, Ross and Lars went to the library to do some light reading as per Lars' insistence. "Books before bed are good for the head," he would say every time he handed Ross his weekly reading assignments. "After all, an idle mind can lead to a real bind."

Ross browsed through the shelves, perusing the titles before him. Ivanhoe, Great Expectations, The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Frankenstein, Bullfinch's Mythology, these were just some of the literary material in Lars' approved reading list. However, he was not interested in any of those books as they were all in English, and he found it troublesome to read and translate at the same time.

Interestingly among that cornucopia of literary classicswas a series of penny dreadfuls entitled The Adventures of Flynn Rider. Ross had a secret collection himself, mostly smuggled in by a few of the servants' boys, and so far, they had been fairly entertaining. 'Now that sounds a lot more like it,' he thought, picking up the latest volume. But before he could even start, Lars swooped in and snatched the book away.

"Ross, you know you're not supposed to read that," he chided with a disapproving click of his tongue. "Honestly, it's all stuff and nonsense, and the main protagonist is such a terrible role model." He scoffed. "A gentleman thief? Really? A cheap copy of Robin Hood, more like!"

"But Uncle, I don't feel like reading any English books tonight," Ross protested. "Don't they have any Norwegian books instead?

Lars rubbed his chin in rumination. "Well, it has been a long day, so I suppose we can try to scrounge up something else."

After searching for another twenty-odd minutes, Ross finally found a book that was written in Norwegian, the only one in the entire collection. "Askelúr and Other Household Tales?" he murmured, reading the cover.

Upon hearing this, Lars grew pale and his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "Pardon me but did you just say Askelúr and Other Household Tales?"

"Yes. I can read it, can't–" Ross replied, holding up the book, only to yelp when Lars snatched it out of his hands. "HEY!" he cried, startled. "What gives, Uncle Lars?"

"You shouldn't be reading that book," the bespectacled man told him sternly.

Now Ross was confused. Did his uncle want him to read or not? "Why?"

Now it was Lars' turn to be taken aback. Ross was normally the kind of child who did as he as was told, so to hear him question his instructions was an unexpected development. "It's uh…" Inwardly, he was kicking himself as he racked his brain for an appropriate response. "It's not something you'd really enjoy, what with all its romance and lovey-dovey nonsense. Yes, not at all appropriate for children."

Ross narrowed his eyes, not thoroughly convinced. "If that's so, then why is it in the märchen section?"

"Well, maybe it was misplaced," Lars hastily replied,slipping the book higher up a different shelf. "Oh, I know! Why don't you read this instead?" he suggested as he pulled out another book and handed it to his nephew.

"The Adventures of Flynn Rider?" Ross asked, holding it up for Lars to see.

"Yes! On second thought, it's a better alternative. Much, much, much better. " He laughed, but Ross could tell that Lars was nervous. He was hiding something, that much he knew.

'And I'm going to find on what it is,' he vowed, keeping his eyes trained on the book sitting ever so innocently up in the shelf.

* * *

It was now two in the morning and by then everyone in Corona Castle was fast asleep. That is to say, everyone except for the night patrol and one Prince Rosenrød of Arendelle.

Taking great care to avoid the guards and not get caught, Ross stealthily tiptoed out of his room and down the hall, ducking and hiding whenever he could. Silently, he crept down the corridors until he reached his intended destination – the castle library. Making sure that no one had spotted him and that he was completely alone, he ten quickly slipped inside.

There, he summoned a small wisp of flame to provide a bit of light – bright enough for him to avoid stumbling in the dark, but also dim enough to avoid attracting unwanted attention. After that, he set to work retracing his steps until he found the shelf where Lars had secreted the book far out of his reach.

Just then, he spotted a wheeled ladder a little a bit further inside. A stroke of good luck indeed. With it, he was able to clamber up to the upper shelves and retrieve the in the dim light, the title was as clear as day – Askelúr and Other Household Tales. Ross frowned, puzzled by Uncle Lars' reaction. 'Why go through all that trouble to hide a book like this?'

As the cover title indicated, Askelúr was indeed the first story in the anthology. According to its preface, it was a Norwegian Cinderlad story based on true events. And as Ross began to read, he could see why Lars denounced the book as ridiculous. The sequence of events were far too contrived and romance between Askelúr and the princess was just too far-fetched.

Still, there was one element in the story that genuinely caught his attention. One of the illustrations for the story showcased a pair of gloves. That in itself would have been nothing out of the ordinary, the gloves in that particular illustration were ornately embroidered and oddly familiar. Absently, he traced the pattern. He had definitely seen those gloves somewhere before, but where?

 _ **Beta writter: Nightrain and Brownstone.**_

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: So far so good... but this could be the calm before the storm. Any way, hope you enjoy the chapter,**_ _ **please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next chapter..**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Authors note: Welcome to another chapter of the red rose and the wolf. Here I humbly present this new chapter for all of you my darling readers to read to your hearts delight.**_ _ **So enough about me blabbering, hope you all enjoy this new chapter and please review when done as your opinions matter to me and help me make the story better. :)**_

 _ **Guest: Your right, it will bring questions and trouble later on.**_

 _ **Now after the long wait, here it is, hopefully it will be worth the wait. :)  
**_

* * *

Ross let out a bored huff as he sat at his desk, working on a math equation. Even though he was in Corona to visit relatives and have a short vacation, Lars was determined that he was to continue with his studies and stay up to date with his lessons.

Even so, he was still a young boy, and young boys and book learning were much like oil and water. He could still remember one instance where he decided to be a smart-mouth when Lars had asked him a question…

* * *

 _"Please find the x on the triangle," instructed Lars._

 _Quick as a whistle, Ross pointed to the "x" written next to the triangle. "There it is!" he declared, looking as pleased as punch._

 _Snehvide, who had been sitting next to him burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. Lars, on the other hand, was less than amused. "You should take your lessons more seriously," he had rebuked. "Your father, bless his soul, had worked very hard to make formal education accessible to all walks of life, and you're wasting your opportunity. If this is how you honor his memory, then I'm sorry for you!"_

 _Thoroughly chastised and horrified at the idea of dishonoring his late father, Ross apologized and began earnestly applying himself. He still struggled at times, but compared to before, there was a marked improvement in his lesson retention._

* * *

"So I see you're his tutor."

Ross looked up to see his Great-uncle Frederick enter the room. As much as he loved the man, it was disturbing to hear how cold his voice was when he addressed Lars, and combined with the dark expression on his face, he made for a very intimidating sight.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Lars replied, his tone deferential. "Ross is currently learning basic geometry."

"I see," the older man muttered, scratching his beard. "Still, as much as I encourage education, our nephew is here to take it easy and spend time with us. I'm sure you agree." At that last statement, he pinned a piercing glare at Lars, as if he was challenging the bespectacled man to object.

"But of course, Your Majesty," he ground out through gritted teeth. "Ross, you're dismissed for today."

Ross nodded and put away his books, slates, and notes before following King Frederick out the room. As he passed his paternal uncle, he noticed that the man was quite tense and his jaw was clenched so hard that it seemed that the sheer pressure he was applying could crack a walnut shell on its own.

Lars was extremely upset by Frederick's thinly-veiled animosity, that much he could tell. What warranted this behavior, Ross did not know. He had asked his paternal family about it, but they had been notoriously tight-lipped about it and told him that it was nothing that children should concern themselves with.

"So do you like fishing?"

Ross snapped out of his thoughts to see Frederick staring at him expectantly. "Do you like fishing?" repeated his great-uncle. "We have the whole day to ourselves."

"We do?" Ross asked.

"Yes!" Frederick answered, nodding. "Your Great-aunt Arianna and I took the day off today, and we decided to spend it with you and Elios and Lunette by taking you three to the lake for some outdoor fun."

"But who'll watch the kingdom?" Ross asked.

"Your Aunt Rapunzel and Uncle Eugene, of course!" Frederick laughed, patting his grandnephew's head. "You don't need to worry one lick, Corona is in capable hands."

"Oh…" At this, Ross blushed and looked away. "But I've never fished before…"

"Well, there's a first time for everything," Frederick replied cheerfully. "What about swimming?"

"No…" Ross told him, looking rather downcast. "Mother forbids it. She thinks I might drown or something. And…" His voice dropped down to a hushed whisper. "I'm sort of afraid of the water."

Frederick frowned at this. "That won't do. That won't do at all. It's settled then, we're going to the lake and remedying it this instant. By the time you return home, you'll be able to fish and swim like most other boys your age."

Green eyes glinted with hope. "Really?"

"Yes!" came the reply.

Hearing that made Ross positively giddy with euphoria. Truth be told, he wanted nothing more to be like other boys. He wanted to run and play and climb and jump, but the protocols of his social standing made it difficult for him to do so; but in Corona, titles and protocols meant little, so now he was free to explore and be himself to his heart's delight.

Grinning from ear to ear, he took his great-uncle's hand and set off to enjoy the day.

* * *

Night had fallen and Ross was fast asleep, tuckered out by the days' activities. He lay curled up in bed, burrowed deeply in his down blankets, dreaming of pleasant things when suddenly he heard a loud bang followed the sound of someone yelling.

"What do you know about what's best for Ross?!"

The boy in question immediately jolted awake. "Uncle Caleb?" he murmured, recognizing the voice. Frightened yet concerned,he slipped out of bed and padded down the hall, following the voices all the way to King Frederick's study.

The door to study was slightly open, a sliver of light shining through the crack. Curious, Ross crept closer to take a peek and listen to what was going on.

However, what he saw alarmed him greatly. His paternal uncles and great-uncle were locked in a heated argument, and by the looks of it, it was not going to subside any time soon.

"Are you really that cruel to rip a child away from his mother's arms?!" Uncle Caleb was shouting, "It was agreed that Ross was only to stay for a month, and now you're extending it indefinitely? How could you do this? Queen Elsa trusted you!"

"And I trusted Elsa with my godson's life, and look what happened… He's dead, no thanks to her!" Uncle Frederick retorted.

"It wasn't her fault!" Uncle Lars countered. "She wasn't even there when it happened!"

Now this came as a surprise Ross as he had never seen Lars assert himself or stand up to anybody.

But disappointingly, this flash of bravado was short-lived when Frederick pinned him with the steeliest, iciest glare he could muster. "You're right… She had nothing to do with it because it's your fault that he's dead!"

"What!" Anton hollered in protest. "That's not fair!"

"But it's the truth!" Frederick accused. "He died trying to save you ungrateful lot!"

"Well, aren't you the righteous one?" Caleb scoffed. "You, who were willing to jeopardize the security of your own kingdom and frame a poor boy to take the fall!"

"I will not be made the enemy here!" Frederick thundered."Justice had to be served!"

"For whom? For your daughter or for yourself?" Caleb shot back. He crossed his arms and snorted in disgust. "You really areno different from our father."

The Coronan king boiled with rage. "How dare you compare me to that tyrant!" His voice echoed across the room with such vehemence, frightening Ross to the point that he gasped in horror.

This did not go unnoticed by Lars' sharp ears. "What was that?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder.

Ross backed away, clapping his hands over his mouth in an attempt to stop himself from making more noise. Unfortunately,he wound up backing into a suit of armor and it only went downhill from there. It came crashing down with loud clatter as each piece hit the ground. To make things worse, this in itself had alerted his uncles as they had run out of them room, staring at him with unreadable expressions.

Terrified, Ross immediately fled to his room. He could hearthem calling him, imploring him to wait, to stop, to come back,but he ignored them all.

Once he reached his room, he locked the door and ducked right under the bed. It was habit he had whenever he was frightened. Thomas often found it rather childish, but at nine, Ross essentially was a child. So there he hid, trying but failing to calm his racing heartbeat.

 _'I trusted Elsa with my godson's life, and look what happened… He's dead, no thank to her!'_

 _'It wasn't her fault!'_

 _'He died trying to save you ungrateful lot!'_

 _'You really are no different from your father!'_

 _'Don't you dare compare me to that tyrant!'_

Ross covered his ears, trying to block out those angry voices,but it was in vain. They reverberated through his mind, each word laced with pain, hatred, and vitriol – it was more than what he could bear. Overwhelmed, he began to weep until exhaustion took over and he fell asleep.

* * *

The next day, Ross was awakened by the sound of someone knocking at the door. "Ross?" the person called. Judging by the voice, it was Erik. "Ross," he repeated, the knocking increasingly frantic. "Are you awake? We need to talk."

Now this alarmed him. After last night's fiasco, he knew there would be some strict reprimand regarding his eavesdropping. However, after what he had just witnessed, he was in no mood to talk to any of his uncles. He had to go someplace where he could have some time to think.

'And I just know exactly where.'

Hastily, he rolled out from underneath the bed, nearly hitting his head in the process, and quickly threw on his clothes. Through some odd stroke of fortune, his room was situated on the first floor so slipping out would not be an issue. He then threw open the window and silently made his escape.

* * *

Mornings for Eugene were normally a dull affair – wake up, get groomed, get dressed, go to breakfast; everyday, it was the same old routine. However, on this particular morning, he was met with the odd sight of Caleb, Erik, Lars, and Anton huddled outside Ross' door, simultaneously knocking and jiggling the handle.

"Good grief! Are you trying to break the door or something?" he asked, startling the four brothers.

"No, it's not that," Erik explained. "There's something we want to discuss with Ross, but it seems that he's holed himself up and won't come out."

Eugene snorted. "Well, trying to batter the door down definitely won't work. You need to put some finesse into your approach." He gently knocked on the door. "Hey Champ, it's me, Uncle Eugene. Could you be a good sport and let me in?"

No reply.

"Ross?" His knocking grew louder. "Are you there?"

Still no reply.

Now he was getting impatient. "Rosenrød Lykke Solberg-de Mointeuin, you answer the door this very instant or so help me God, I will write to your mother about this!"

"So what was that about finesse again?" Anton whispered to Lars in a quick aside as they watched Eugene shout and kick at the door.

"I HEARD THAT!"

* * *

Ross huddled quietly at the back of a wagon as it meandered down the dirt road towards the de Mointeuin chateau. Once his uncles find him, he would most likely be in a world of trouble, but at that moment he did not care. The tension and animosity between King Frederick and his paternal uncles had been more than he could bear, and he just had to get away. And at the time, the only place that came to mind was his father's childhood home.

Once he had arrived, he hopped off and thanked the wagon driver who had been charitable enough to let him hitch a ride before making his way into the manor.

In the excitement of yesterday's events, it seemed that Eugene had forgotten to lock up as Ross was able to open the front slipped inside, his footsteps echoing in the dusty, cavernous halls.

Despite the interior's shabby state, the chateau was just as welcoming and comforting as it had been in its heyday. However, just a few minutes in, he was suddenly overcome by some strange, lingering feeling, as if there was something that he had to seek, to find.

This odd premonition led him to the second floor, and he had barely reached it when he caught sight of someone at the far end of the hallway – a young man in his late teens or early twenties –climbing up the flight of stairs that led to the third floor.

His heart practically leapt into his throat. 'An intruder?' Though the chateau had been deserted for some time, it still housed a few artifacts that would have fetched a pretty penny at the black market. And the fact that it was uninhabited meant that it would be easy pickings for any ruffian hungry for quick cash.

He was frightened as he knew that such men were dangerous, but he had to do something to protect his father's things. Calling the caretaker for help was out of the question as it would take too long and give the man enough time to escape with the loot. Thus he had to confront him himself. He summoned a ball of flame for protection and went after the man.

"Hold it right there!" he called, striding towards the man. It was a long shot, and he hoped that the tactic would at least scare him away and dissuade further intruders, but oddly enough, the man did not respond at all. He neither fled nor attacked. Instead, he merely went on his merry way and continued to ascend the stairs.

Curious, Ross followed the man, and as he did, he felt tears well up in his eyes as he was overcome with a sense of overwhelming sorrow.

He wiped at his eyes, puzzled by this strange turn of events. While he was upset by the events that had transpired at Corona Castle, the emotion he felt now far exceeded it in magnitude. In fact, it felt a lot less like sorrow and a lot more like grief.

Now that truly was an oddity as Ross himself had never experienced the pain of loss. At least, not firsthand.

He continued to wipe away his tears as he followed the man into what seemed like a storage closet. Peering through the doorway, he watched the man open a large chest and pull out a swathe of red cloth. What happened thoroughly baffled him as the man clung onto the cloth before breaking down into a sobbing wreck.

Ross' tears continued to flow in steady rivulets. Though it was not his own, the man's anguish was excruciating, and it weighed down on him as well. Summoning every ounce of courage he had, he slowly approached the man in hopes of comforting him. At that same moment, the man returned the cloth back in the chest and turned to leave; and as he did, Ross gasped in shock.

Despite his youthful appearance, Ross immediately recognized the man. He had seen him many times before in the portraits back home in Arendelle. This man, without a doubt, was his father who was said to have been long dead!

A myriad of emotions roiled up within him – shock, that he was alive; sadness, over the lost years; anger, that he never tried to come home; and most importantly, happiness, that his family was finally complete. Unfortunately, that happiness was short-lived. As Ross ran over to give his father a hug, he ended up tripping over the chest and face-planted into the hardwood floor.

"Ow!" He painfully picked himself up, rubbing his sore nose. He turned to look over his shoulder, only to discover that his father had vanished!

Now that was impossible. He knew what he had seen, and he had heard it too. Had it been an apparition? Was the chateau haunted? Or worse…

 _'Am I going mad?'_

Just then, he noticed the chest. _'It's still here?'_ Gingerly he approached it, praying that it too was not an illusion.

Much to his relief, it was as tangible as he was. However, it was also covered in dust as it had not been touched in , he eased the chest open only to be greeted by the swathe of red cloth his father had been caressing.

Curious, he pulled it out of the chest, and it unraveled itself to reveal a riding cloak. It was made of sturdy fine-spun wool and lined with downy, dark gray fur. As he held on to it, he could sense the love and care that had been poured into crafting this article of clothing. It felt warm and comforting, much like his mother's hugs. He wrapped the cloak around him, burrowing himself in the cozy fabric.

Just then, he heard a set of footsteps, jolting him back to reality. This time, he was certain that an intruder had broken in. And then, a devilish idea crossed his mind. While he might not able fight them off, no one ever said anything about scaring them to himself, he pulled the hood over his face and ignited both his hands before heading back downstairs.

There, he noticed that the door to the parlor was slightly ajar, but just as he was about to go in and proceed with his plan, he was once again overcome by the same sudden pang of grief from before. As he drew closer, and despite the tears welling up in his eyes, he could clearly see the other person in the room, but it was no stranger. Kneeling on the ground just a few paces away was none other than King Frederick.

However, unlike the proud, strong-willed man Ross knew him to be, this version of King Frederick looked absolutely broken. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry… I should have done more…" he wept, hunched before a large portrait of the de Mointeuin family. "You trusted me to protect your son, yet I failed... I failed yet again to protect those that I love and because of that, he's gone forever!"

Ross' tears were now flowing incessantly as he was mercilessly assaulted by feelings of sorrow, failure, and self-disgust. But why was he even feeling this? These were not his thoughts or emotions!

A choked sob bubbled out of Ross' throat. He tried to muffle it, but it was too late. He had been discovered.

"I know you're there," he said, composing himself as best as he could. "Show yourself."

For a moment, Ross balked, but he also did not want any more trouble with his great-uncle, so he stepped into the light, timidly fiddling the hem of the cloak.

"Uncle," he began rather hesitantly, "Please don't cry… I know Father is gone, but I don't think he'd want to see you like this."

"Ross? What are you doing here?" Frederick gasped. "And alone of all things?"

"I... I may have run away…" he admitted. "But I was going to go back, I promise!" he added hastily, "I just wanted to go somewhere quiet to think and this was the first place that came to mind."

Frederick chuckled despite his tears. "Well that much, we can agree…" His gaze shifted to the de Mointeuin family portrait. "It is a good place to ruminate." He dried his tears and walked over to Ross, pulling him into a hug. "I know what happened last night bothered you greatly, and I apologize for that. You didn't deserve to witness such an ugly scene, but just know that it happened because both your uncles and I care about you greatly."

"Still, it really upset me to see you yell at each other like that," Ross replied earnestly. "Why would you do that?"

Ashamed of his past behavior, Frederick averted his gaze. "It's… It's complicated," he said after a while.

"Complicated like how?"

He sighed. "It's something that you wouldn't exactly understand. But after what happened, I have been giving it some thought, and now I realize how wrong I was." He placed a firm yet gentle hand on Ross' shoulder.

"I thought the king's word was law, that they could never be wrong," Ross remarked.

On the contrary, there are times the king can be very, very wrong," Frederick told him. "And that's the time when problems in the kingdom begin to pop up. To err is to be human, but from there we must also take responsibility for our actions and learn from our mistakes. I, myself, have said and done things, terrible things that I deeply regret, but even then, regret always comes too late."

Ross gaped at his great-uncle in shock. This was the first time he saw him not as a king, but as a fellow human being who was brave enough to admit his flaws. Such strength of character was truly admirable.

"Even so, I think it's never too late to make amends," he said after a while. "Even if the person you wronged doesn't forgive you, at least it can be said that you made an effort."

Frederick bent down to Ross' level, locking eyes with the boy prince. "You're a wise lad, and this is why I know you can be better – better than me, better than your parents, your uncles and aunts, better than all those before you."

"You think so?"

Frederick smiled. "Certainly! You have the potential to be a great king if you put your mind to it, and the first step is to learn from our mistakes and avoid doing the same thing, so when the time comes, history does not repeat itself."

Touched by his great-uncle's words, Ross wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug. "I'll do my best, Uncle," he whispered, his voice shaky with emotion. Everyone had always expected him to excel, so to hear the king of Corona encouraging Ross that there was no shame in failure as long as he could better himself from them gave him some peace of mind and strengthened his resolve.

* * *

After the debacle with his uncles and his conversation with Frederick, the rest of Ross' vacation in Corona went by without any further incident. Overall, he had a good time. Most of it was spent playing with Uncle Eugene and his twin cousins, doing arts and crafts with Aunt Rapunzel, and bonding with Uncle Frederick and Aunt Arianna, as well as with his paternal aunts and uncles.

Of course, time flies quickly when one is having fun, and soon the month was up and it was time for Ross and his paternal relatives to return home once more.

Ross leaned forward on the ship's starboard side, waving goodbye to his cousins and Aunt Arianna.

"Farewell, bon voyage!" they called, waving back. "Hope you come again soon!"

"I will!" he promised, "And do visit us too, if you can!"

And it was no lie. Their company had been an absolute delight, and he would be glad see them more frequently, assuming Mother would allow it. Already, Aunt Rapunzel and Uncle Eugene were accompanying the Arendellian royals. And much to everyone's surprise, Uncle Frederick was joining them as well. Apparently, he wanted to have a word with all would go well.

* * *

 _Later that night, Ross was awakened from his peaceful slumber by the sound of dripping water. Blearily, he opened his eyes to find himself lying in a pallet of rotting straw. Alarmed, he jumped to his feet to check his surroundings, only to find a stretch of rough stone wall and iron bars._

 _'A dungeon!? Why am I in a dungeon?'_

 _Suddenly, the clanking of chains alerted him that he was not alone. Next to him, with heavy shackles hanging from his wrists and ankles was a familiar, red-haired man bundled in a moldy, ragged blanket, looking rather worse for wear._

 _'F-father? H-how? Wh-why?'_

 _He rushed over to the man, only to phase through him. He tried again and again, with nothing but the same results. Confused, helooked down to discover, in his great horror, that his body was completely ethereal. 'When did I–? What's going on?'_

 _Just then, the sound of footsteps snapped Ross out of his panicked haze, and the cell door opened with a heavy clang. He glanced up to see Uncle Caleb walk in, but to add to his growing confusion, he looked much younger and his eyes were harder, more cruel. All in all, he looked nothing like the strict yet well-intentioned man that Ross knew and loved._

 _"Hans, do you even have any idea of the trouble you're in?" the older prince asked in a harsh whisper._

 _"Not really," came the nonchalant reply. "Nothing you say or do will ever change my mind."_

 _"You can deny it all you want, but you are a Westergaard,whether you like it or not," Caleb cut in. "Our blood flows in your veins. You were born to serve the Isles and its King. What part of that don't you understand?"_

 _Despite Hans' battered state, his eyes blazed with defiance. "I may have Westergaard blood, but that does not make me one. I am and will always be a de Mointetuin and my loyalty will always be to Corona and its rulers."_

 _Now came as a surprise to Ross. Uncle Caleb had always held his father in such high regard, so to hear him berating him so viciously was quite jarring. And then there was his father'sreply… Was being a Westergaard really that bad that he would outright reject the name?_

 _Annoyed, Caleb began to pace wildly. "Mother and Father are beside themselves with fury. They're planning to have you executed if you don't cooperate."_

 _Upon hearing those words, Ross was terrified, but for some odd reason his father was not. Though he was being threatened, he exuded an incredible aura of calm and acceptance._

 _"Go ahead then," he said, "I am not afraid."_

 _"Have you gone mad, Hans?" Caleb bellowed, taken aback by his response. "Why on earth are you so willing to put your life on the line for these people? What has Corona offered you that you cannot have tenfold if you obey?"_

 _"If that's how you think then I truly pity you…"_

 _Mocking laughter erupted from Caleb's lips. "You? You pity me?"_

 _"Yes," Hans replied, "After all that you said, it's very clear that you've never had anything worth living for."_

 _"You really are crazy if you're not afraid to die," Caleb hissed. He stalked towards the exit. "Then again, I probably shouldn't have been expecting much from you."_

 _"When you live for another, you're prepared to die."_

 _Those words stopped Caleb in his tracks, and he whirled back,throwing his fist into his younger brother's face. Horrified, Ross threw himself in front of his father to intercept the blow. And then everything went black._

* * *

"WAAUGH!"

Ross immediately bolted awake, panting heavily. His forehead and back were damp with sweat, and his heart was beating so fast it felt like it would burst out of his chest any moment soon. He rubbed at his face and blinked a few times, only to realize that he was back in the passenger cabin of The Beautiful Daughter.

'A dream…?' He rubbed at his face again. 'No, not a dream… A nightmare, more like…' He glanced at Uncle Caleb snoring peacefully in the bunk across him. It had to be a nightmare. Uncle Caleb may be strict, stern, a bit overbearing at times, but he would never hurt a fly.

But still, it had been very vivid. He could still hear his father's voice resonating in his mind. "When you live for another, you're prepared to die."

The brave words of a man loyal to the very end. It was no wonder everyone often sang praises whenever they spoke of him. Handsome, courageous, talented, athletic, and benevolent, could Ross ever live up to the standards Hans had set?

"I want you to be better…" That was what his Uncle Frederick had said.

'And I can be better,' Ross said to himself, trying to boost his confidence. He just had to believe in himself in the way Frederick believed in him.

* * *

Accompanied by her sister and brothers-in-law, Elsa stood at the wharf waiting for The Beautiful Daughter's arrival. Today was the day that Ross was scheduled to return to Arendelle, and she more than anxious to see her little boy once more.

"INCOMING SHIP!" the harbormaster boomed, ringing his bell as he directed the dock hands to docking pier. "ALL HANDS STAND BY!"

Once The Beautiful Daughter had been secured, its passengers slowly began to disembark. It did not take Elsa long to spot Ross from the crowd of people, but what surprised her the most was that King Frederick had also decided to make the journey.

She inwardly winced. Ever since Hans' death, her relationship with Frederick had deteriorated to the point that any interaction between them was bound to end in a heated argument. She sucked in a breath and braced herself for another series of rebukes from the Coronan monarch only to be taken aback by a most unexpected move. He stepped towards her, pinning her with his most serious expression, and then he enveloped her into a hug.

"I'm sorry," he said, tears streaming down his cheeks. "It was never your fault…. I've been such a stubborn, selfish fool that I was blind to you own pain. Will you find it in your heart to forgive this foolish old man?"

Elsa was stunned. Given the kind of person Frederick was, she never expected him to apologize, much less admit his here he was, hugging her, doing exactly that. A baser part of her wanted to snub him for all the grief that he had given her, but that was not how she was raised.

Gently, graciously, she returned his embrace. "Apology accepted," she said, her expression gentle. "I forgive you."

 _ **Beta writter: Nightrain and Brownstone.**_

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Fun fact: People react to guilt in many ways, in Fredericks case, the guilt he felt made him see the situation as if he had lost Rapunzel again... which was also a guilt he had never really taken care of. So his way to deal with it was to blame Elsa, it was wrong but sadly its something more common than you think. When something bad happens, even if it was just a serious of events that just happen, people tend to look for something to place the blame, even if there was nobody to blame.**_

 _ **Authors note: It ended well, the family was mended! This will be necessary in the future... when the enemy and prophecy happens. Any way, hope you enjoy the chapter,**_ _ **please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next chapter..**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Authors note: Welcome to another chapter of the red rose and the wolf. Here I humbly present this new chapter for all of you my darling readers to read to your hearts delight.**_ _ **So enough about me blabbering, hope you all enjoy this new chapter and please review when done as your opinions matter to me and help me make the story better. :)**_

 _ **autiger94: Thank you! and I hope you enjoy this new chapter. :)  
**_

 _ **Yubima-chan; Yes it will be something he will develop, yes your right, but I cannot say much without revealing critical plot points. Its okay, have a good sleep. :)**_

 _ **Now after the long wait, here it is, hopefully it will be worth the wait. :)  
**_

* * *

After so many years of bad blood between Queen Elsa and King Frederick, seeing them reconcile was like a soothing balm to both the Arendellians and their Coronan counterparts. For one, now that the animosity between the two monarchs had dissipated, free trade between their respective countries resumed anew. And more importantly, now the political tension between Arendelle and Corona had diminished, the two countries would no longer be teetering over the brink of war.

As ecstatic as everyone was over the reconciliation, none was more happy than Ross. Now that his mother and Uncle Frederick had settled their differences, both of them were now back to visiting terms; in fact, in a surprising act of goodwill, Uncle Frederick unveiled his plan to renovate the de Mointeuin Chateau, and personally invited Ross and his mother to visit Corona the following spring.

Grinning madly to himself, Ross skipped over to Thomas' room. After a month's absence, he was eager to see his cousin once more and could not wait to tell him the good news. Perhaps if he was lucky, Aunt Anna would let Thomas come along in their next trip as well.

"Hey Thomas, did you hear?" he called as he entered his cousin's quarters, "Uncle Frederick's–"

"What are you doing in my room?" the other boy cut in harshly, pinning Ross down with his most glacial stare. "Who said you could just come and go as you please?"

"Y-you did," Ross stammered, taken aback by Thomas' angry tone and demeanor. "I was just–"

"Well knock next time!" he snapped.

Now this really took Ross off-guard. Given how close he and Thomas were, their rooms had always been open to each other, and each boy had always been welcome to enter, even without knocking. And though he did not show it, Thomas' attitude hurt him greatly. For as long he had known him, Ross had never seen his cousin lash out at anyone with such viciousness.

Despite the rude reception, Ross now knew by experience that getting angry in retaliation would not do either party any good. One way or another, he had to deescalate the situation.

"I'm sorry, I won't do it again," he said. He then handed a rectangular package to Thomas. "Here you go, I brought something for you," he added, in hopes of placating the blond's black mood.

Without another word, Thomas took the parcel and unwrapped it to reveal a leather-bound book. He raised a brow. "And this is?"

"It's a copy of the first edition of Grimm's Fairytales" Ross replied with a bright smile. "Look," he said, gesturing to the signatures on the cover page, "It's even autographed and everything."

Thomas sneered and rudely shoved the book back to Ross. "I don't want it."

By this point, Ross was thoroughly confused. He was absolutely certain that Thomas would have loved his gift, given how much the older boy enjoyed reading. "P-pardon?"

"Are you deaf as well as stupid?" Thomas snapped. "I said I don't want your lousy book! It's for babies, anyway."

Ross was crestfallen by his cousin's response, but managed to maintain a chipper façade. "Oh, I'm sorry then. Maybe I can give you something else. There's loads more–"

"No, don't bother," Thomas scoffed, waving Ross away like a pest. "I know what you're capable of. Now can you please go away and leave me be? I'm busy!"

"But Thomas, I–" But before Ross could say anything else, Thomas pushed him out and slammed the door closed. With a heavy heart, the redheaded prince sighed and trudged away. "I'm sorry…" he whimpered quietly, trying his best not to cry.

Was Thomas upset about the accident? Ross could not blame him if he was. After all, in a way, it was his fault. Had he not run away, Thomas would have not gone after him nor would he have encountered whatever put him into the coma.

But even so, Ross was determined to make it up to the other boy. He would show Thomas proof that he was sincere in his apology and his lessons. It was time for him to take charge and show others that even though he wasn't perfect, he was more than capable of achieving excellence. With all his resolve, he was going to be a good son, a good cousin, and especially a good heir.

* * *

"You want us to _what_?!" asked Caleb. Behind him, the other de Mointeuin brothers and all three Winter Siblings stared at Ross as if he had grown a second head.

"I want you to train me in combat," the crown prince replied earnestly.

"Aren't you a bit too young for that?" Lars asked. It was actually a lie in an attempt to dissuade Ross from his request, but given how overprotective Elsa was in regards to her son's well-being, he and everyone else knew that it would only end badly if so much as a hair on Ross' head was harmed.

"Maybe, but can't you all make an exception?" Ross implored. "If this is about Mother, I'll tell her myself. Surely, she'd have to understand."

The two sets of siblings shared a nervous glance. They knew that combat training was an important milestone in the education of young aristocrats, especially to prepare them for times of war, but…

"We'll think about it," Shuangsong replied, "But why did you suddenly come to this decision?"

Ross twiddled his thumbs. "I had been thinking, and given my position as a future king…"

"Yes?" prompted his uncles.

"Well, a king –a good one– is supposed to put his people's well-being first," he answered. "I don't know what will happen in the future, but if something does, I don't want to be a burden. Arendelle is my home and I want to help everyone to the best of my ability. So in that respect, shouldn't I do something to make it better?"

Ross' rationale left everyone dumbstruck. Those were very wise words coming from a boy his age. While the thought of angering Elsa terrified them, they also could not deny Ross' request, especially since he had put up such a solid argument. As the adage went, "The needs of the many outweighs the needs of the one." It had to be done.

The group stared, that was pretty mature coming from somebody Rosses age. A part of them wanted to refuse as they were terrified of Elsa, but on the other, how can they deny Ross? Especially when he puts up such a good argument.

"Very well," Caleb said, after several moments of silent rumination. "We start tomorrow."

"Thank you, Uncle!" Ross squealed, wrapping his arms around him in a peppy embrace. "I won't let you down!"

* * *

"Ahh!"

A pained gasp left Ross' lips as Caleb unceremoniously knocked him onto the ground, his back slamming onto the hard surface. He wheezed and panted, winded and sore, but he was not yet done. He pulled himself up to his feet and scrambled to make a grab for his sword, only for his opponent to kick it out of reach and pin him down with his own blade.

" _Combat_!" Jürgen shouted. "Match goes to Caleb!"

"You did well," Caleb remarked as he sheathed his sword and helped his nephew up, "But we need to work on your form."

"That and so much more," added Shuangsong, who had been watching on the sidelines along with his siblings. "I've seen beginners with better skills."

Upon hearing his assessment, Ross frowned wanting nothing more than to throw in the towel. Never had he been more frustrated. He had been training for six months now, and he was still struggling with the basics. No matter what he did or how much effort he put into it, everything simply led to failure.

"Big Brother, don't be cruel," Xuemei interjected, "Can't you see the poor boy is trying?"

"No… He's right," Ross muttered, glaring sullenly at his sword, his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Maybe I'm not just cut out for it. Be it fencing, academics, or even being a proper heir – I can't do any of it right! I'm nothing like Thomas. Everything just comes easy for him. He's the perfect prince while I'm just some dud." His fists clenched and his eyes burned with tears. "Maybe I should just hand him my title and disappear because it's clear that I'm never going to amount to anything. I'm a failure and the people of Arendelle deserve someone better than me!"

"Rubbish and donkey dust!" Dongzhu cried. Everyone stared at him in shock as the mild-mannered physician was hardly one to express his opinions in such a vulgar manner. "Pardon my language," he went on, "But that's a load of it if I've ever heard any!"

"Dongzhu is right," Xuemei agreed. She smiled and placed a kind, comforting hand on Ross' shoulder. "You have the potential to become the best that you can be; all you need is the special secret that can help you tap into it."

"A secret?" asked Ross, already perking up. "Can you please tell me what it is?"

"Of course," Xuemei nodded. With gentle but firm hands, she guided the little prince into the proper fighting stance. " _You do it for her_ …"

Ross glanced at the raven-haired woman, confused. "Her?"

" _Her_!" Dongzhu piped up, "The girl worth fighting for."

"But I don't know any girls," Ross pointed out. "I mean, I know Snehvide and Lunette..." he amended hastily, "…but I don't think they count."

"Of course they count," Shuangsong put in. "What my brother means is that there's always someone worth fighting for, be it your mother, your family, your friends, or even your people."

Green eyes lit up with clarity. "Oh, I see! I think I understand now."

"Then that's good!" Xuemei cheered. "Now as I was saying…

" _You do it for her_

 _And you would do it again_."

"Them," corrected Ross, smiling up at her. "I do this for all of them."

Xuemei beamed. "That's what we want to hear! Arms up now!" She then assisted him into position.

" _You do it for him, that is to say_

 _You'll do it for them._ "

Ross smiled and nodded as he listened to her instructions.

" _Keep your stance wide,_

 _Keep your body lowered,_

 _As you're moving forward_

 _Balance is the key_."

Shuangsong glanced over at twelve-year-old Ross as he practiced some combat maneuvers, these ones a tad more advanced than what he started with. By now, his skills had improved considerably, and it was understood that more was to be expected of him.

" _Right foot_ …"

Ross obeyed, following his mentor. " _Left foot_ …" he recited.

By now Shuangsong's movements increased in speed and complexity. He punched and kicked, swerved and spun, all the while encouraging the young prince to follow suit.

" _Now go even faster_

 _And as you're moving backwards_

 _Keep your eyes on me._ "

Still doing his stances, Shuangsong swooped over to the weapons rack and grabbed a pair of training swords. He tossed one at Ross, who caught it.

Ross then moved into position and readied his sword arm. " _Keep my stance wide_..."

" _Good_ …" Shuangsong grinned approvingly and began his attack. He fought like a man possessed. Though it was merely a training exercise, he wanted it to simulate an actual duel as much as possible. In an actual battle, the enemy would do what he could to exploit any openings and gain the upper hand.

The redhead blocked and parried each blow. At one point, he ducked and rolled, narrowly evading Shuangsong's sword strike.

" _Keep my body lowered_ …"

" _Right_ …"

" _As I'm moving forward_ …" Spotting an opening at Shuangsong's left side, Ross charged ahead, ready to attack. But suddenly, he tripped and lost his footing, allowing the older man to counterattack and knock Ross to the ground with an elegant sweep kick.

"Concentrate!" Shuangsong admonished, "Don't you want them to be safe?!"

Though his legs were shaking from the strenuous exercise, Ross picked himself up, willing to face the veteran soldier one more time. Like before, he attacked, taking care to remember his stances and positions.

" _Right foot, left foot_ …"

" _Yes, but put your whole body into it_!"

Despite the rigorous exercise and time invested, combat training was merely part of Ross' education. As the future King, he also needed to be well-versed in history and politics, an essential skill for any aspiring statesman.

At the library, Ross listened to Caleb and Lars as they spoke of the past. Of the adventures, accomplishments, and accolades of long-dead kings and heroes of yore. At the same time, nothing was whitewashed. Everything the two men disclosed was the cold, hard truth. Nothing was always black or white. Even the most virtuous of kings had their failings, and it was vital for Ross to know it to avoid repeating their mistakes.

" _Everything you have_ ," said Lars, " _Everything you are_ …

" _You've got to give– On the battlefield_

 _When everything is chaos,_

 _And you have nothing but the way you feel, your strategy and a sword;_

 _You just think about the life you'll have after the war_!"

" _And then you do it for them_ ," Caleb added.

" _That's how you know you can win,_

 _You do it for him, that is to say_

 _You'll do it for them_."

Sixteen-year-old Ross winced as Dongzhu bandaged his wounds. Throughout the years, visiting the doctor had become a fixture of his daily life. His training in both swordplay and pyrokinesis often had him come in with cuts and abrasions, bumps and bruises, and burns and blisters, all of which required medical aid. Even then, despite his best efforts, it seemed that the could never close the gap. Like the mythical Tantalus, what he wanted was always out of reach.

" _Deep down you know_

 _You're not the best_ ," said the doctor.

" _But that doesn't mean_

 _You're not prepared to try_."

Ross gazed up at him with a questioning look. Though he toiled and trained, he could never seem to achieve the results Shuangsong wanted. Perhaps he was destined for mediocrity.

Caleb, who had been standing nearby, noticed Ross' downcast expression and placed a comforting hand on his nephew's shoulder.

" _What they don't know_

 _Is your real advantage,_

 _When you live for someone_

 _You're prepared to die_."

His confidence restored, Ross picked up his blade, ready to resume his lessons.

By eighteen, Ross had spent close to a decade learning the art of combat from both Shuangsong and Caleb, and it was now the moment of truth, the culmination of so many years of hard work. The time had come for the student to surpass the master, and for his final test, Ross was to face both men in a mêleé à trois.

Beads of sweat dotted the young prince's brow. His hands felt clammy as he tightened his grip on the sword's hilt, his knuckles white with tension. Defeating Shuangsong and Caleb was no easy task. The two men were veteran soldiers where the art of war was practically second nature to them. Ross, on the other hand, had grown up far from the battlefield, and knew nothing such hardship.

" _Deep down I know_

 _That I'm not an expert_ …"

" _True_ ," was Shuangsong's blunt reply.

But despite Ross' nervousness, his eyes also burned with determination and resolve like never seen before.

" _But I know that I can get up and try_."

Without a moment's hesitation, he lunged towards Caleb and thrust his blade at him. He had a strategy that could take down both men, but it had to be executed with perfect precision. One false move, and all would be lost.

" _With my short existence_

 _I can make a difference_ …"

Just in the nick of time, Caleb was able to dodge Ross' attack. However, the younger redhead was still able to strike a glancing blow on his uncle's sword arm, disabling him. "Good!" Caleb cheered, despite his wound.

And with a mighty swipe of his blade, Ross managed to knock Shuangsong back, and quickly went in for the kill. With a sweep of his leg, he kicked Shuangsong down. Thrown off balance, the veteran dropped his sword, but before he could reach for it and re-arm himself, Ross was already upon him and pinned him down with his blade.

"Yes, excellent!" Shuangsong crowed, elated by his disciple's progress. He had finally done it. The student had surpassed the master.

" _I can be there for them_

 _I can be their knight_

 _I can do it for them_..."

As Ross helped the two men up, he was bombarded with congratulations, not just from them, but from Xuemei, Lars, and his other uncles and aunts. Never had they been so proud of him. The journey had been long and rife with trials and tribulations, but he had overcome them all. From a diffident little boy, he had grown to become a confident young man – a man who was destined to lead.

" _You'd do it for them_ …"

 _ **Beta writter: Nightrain and Brownstone.**_

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Fun fact: If you read the lyrics, you will see it kinda has a message hidden. It reveals something secret about Ross uncles.  
**_

 _ **Authors note: Yay! Ross is all grown up and ready! The adventure will soon start! Any way, hope you enjoy the chapter,**_ _ **please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next chapter..**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Authors note: Welcome to another chapter of the red rose and the wolf. Here I humbly present this new chapter for all of you my darling readers to read to your hearts delight.**_ _ **So enough about me blabbering, hope you all enjoy this new chapter and please review when done as your opinions matter to me and help me make the story better. :)**_

 _ **Now after the long wait, here it is, hopefully it will be worth the wait. :)  
**_

* * *

Ross tightened his grip on the reins as he and his horse Sleipnir made their way up North Mountain. As they drew closer, he could not help but admire the magnificent ice castle that crowned its peak.

It had been his mother's opus, mostly to keep her creations from melting away. As part of her Faerie heritage, his mother had the ability to create living snowmen of various shapes and sizes. There was the friendly Olaf, the hulking Marshmallow, and the mischievous Snowgies. He used to see them more often as an infant, but as he grew, so did his fire magic, putting the snowmen all at risk. Because of this, his mother had no choice but to send them all to North Mountain where they would become permanent residents of this frozen marvel.

They had just arrived at the ice bridge when suddenly, a huge behemoth of snow and ice emerged from the frigid landscape. Sleipnir whinnied and reared in alarm. Immediately Ross, petted the horse to calm him down. "Easy boy, easy! It's just Marshmallow. He's a friend."

The hulking snow giant grunted in salutations, and allowed them to pass. Once they had crossed the bridge and were back on solid ground, Ross carefully tethered Sleipnir and hopped off.

"Don't worry, I'll be back," he assured, giving the steed a couple of sugar cubes, to which Sleipnir heartily licked off. "Marshmallow will keep you company, won't you Marsh?"

The snow giant grunted in affirmation, smiling crookedly. Despite his intimidating appearance and gruff exterior, Marshmallow could be as soft his namesake when he wanted to be. He lumbered over to Sleipnir and gently stroked his coat, taking great care not to frighten the horse.

Ross smiled at the sight. Sleipnir could still be a bundle of nerves, but he had faithfully stuck by his side time and time again. It seemed like it was only yesterday when they first met…

* * *

 ** _June 21, 1857…_**

 _The days leading up to St. John's Eve were met with great anticipation as it also marked the beginning of midsummer. For a kingdom whose economy was dependent on agriculture, this date was particularly significant as this meant that crops now had more time to ripen under the warm summer sun._

 _Ross was also excited, albeit for different reasons. It was now his birthday, which fell just a few days before the festival, and with him turning twelve that year, he would now be old enough to attend. Already, had spent weeks rehearsing the folk dances, eager to prove himself a true son of Arendelle._

 _That day, he had been practicing at the courtyard fountain with his mother and Fenrir as his audience when suddenly a man approached them with Kai not far behind. The man held a rope lead attached to a small gray foal. Judging by its dark mane, tail, and fetlocks, it appeared to be of the Ardennes stock, a horse breed native to northeast France._

 _Elsa rose to greet the man. "Can I help you?"_

 _He bowed in salutation. "_ Oui _, Your Majesty. I am an ambassador representing ze Kingdom of France. I am here to present zis horse to Prince Rosenrød," he said. "It is a gift from ze Royal House of Bourbon."_

 _"Isn't this a bit too much and a bit too soon?" Elsa replied, flabbergasted. "I mean, to own a horse at his age?"_

 _"His Majesty Ze King and Her Eminence Ze Queen Mother insist," said the man, handing the lead towards Elsa._

 _"I said–"_

 _"Is it really for me?"_

 _Both the queen and the French ambassador turned to find Ross staring up at the foal with wide, wistful eyes. Like many other boys his age, and much like his father before him, Ross enjoyed riding horses. He had begged and pleaded before, but Elsa had never allowed him to. At least not until now. Before she could even object, he walked over to the foal to pet it._

 _At first the foal was skittish, but Ross was patient and his gentle approach soon made it realize that the prince was a friend. Bit by bit, its confidence grew and it wasn't long until it was peacefully nuzzling into Ross' hand._

 _"_ Ce meilleur _!" exclaimed the Frenchman, brimming with glee. "He likes you!"_

 _Elsa, on the other hand, clicked her tongue in mild disapproval. "Ross, you really shouldn't run up to strange animals like that. What if they attack you?"_

 _Ross smiled up at her. "Don't worry, Mother! I'm always careful. And besides, Sleipnir would never hurt me, even if he was scared at first."_

 _"Sleipnir?"she asked, no longer surprised by his odd choice of name. Her son seemed to enjoy his Norse mythology a bit too much. First, he dubbed his wolf Fenrir, then he called his pet raven Muninn, and now here was this Ardennes foal whom he had named after Odin's eight-legged steed._

 _"Yes, like the myth!" he declared, stroking the foal's gray coat. "It suits him, don't you think so?"_

 _"I suppose," Elsa said rather carefully. She still had her reservations about Ross learning horsemanship; but upon seeing how happy he looked, she just did not have the heart to deny him that simple. And it was his birthday, after all, so perhaps she could grant him a bit of leniency, even if just this once._

* * *

However, despite his growing menagerie of pets, Ross wanted nothing more to have human friends his own age – someone to talk, laugh, cry, share, and confide with. The children of the castle staff were too shy to approach him because of the vast difference in social class; and the heirs of the noble houses found his ideas and mannerisms far too radical for their liking. Compounded by his isolated upbringing at Arendelle Castle, his only companions growing up were limited to his cousin Snehvide and her older brother Thomas.

Throughout most of their childhood, Thomas had been Ross' closest friend, almost like a brother; but ever since that accident three years ago, their once-harmonious relationship has soured irrevocably. What friendship and warmth they had between each other, had since then been replaced by belligerence and disdain, mostly on Thomas' part. Ross had offered to bury the hatchet, time and time again; but every attempt had always been coldly rebuffed.

Even until now, he could still recall one particular incident…

* * *

 _It had been a month since Sleipnir's arrival, and since then, the foal had grown accustomed to living in Arendelle under Ross' gentle care. Currently, he was contentedly eating a mix of hay, oats, and black honey whilst the Crown Prince was hard at working brushing the coat of his newest pet. This of course had not gone unnoticed with the grooms and stable boys who insisted that he was above doing such menial tasks. But Ross was adamant. If Sleipnir was to be his horse, then he would be his responsibility to care for him._

 _"HE GOT A WHAT!?"_

 _Startled by the sudden outburst, Sleipnir reared back, nearly knocking Ross over. "Shh, shh… It's okay," he shushed soothingly. Once the foal had sufficiently calmed down, Ross stepped outside the stall to see what was going on. He had not gotten very far when he found Thomas arguing with both his parents._ _Not wanting to intrude, he quickly ducked into a secluded corner._

 _"It's not fair!"_ _the blond prince_ _shouted, his normally pale features florid with rage, "Why does_ he _get to have a horse?"_

 _Already, Aunt Anna looked quite fed up_ _as if she had seen and heard this time and time again_ _. "Thomas–" she began._

 _"It's not fair!" Thomas repeated, his voice rising to a shriek. "You told me I couldn't have my own mount until my fourteenth birthday, but that bumpkin Ros_ _enrød_ _isn't even a teenager yet and they gave him a horse!"_

 _"Thomas, you know I don't like to hear you using that word_ _, especially towards your cousin,_ _" Uncle Kristoff admonished._

 _"If the shoe fits, why not?" Thomas scoffed, crossing his arms. "His mother may be the queen, but that doesn't change the fact that his father is a dusty–"_

 _Before he could even finish, a resounding slap could be heard all throughout the courtyard. From his hiding place, Ross winced as he saw his cousin stagger from the force of the blow._

 _"Don't ever dare say that!" Aunt Anna hissed, her hand still outstretched, "Don't you ever say that about your uncle again! You don't know how much he had suffered, what he had to endure, what he had to sacrifice just so you and Ross and Snehvide could be here today. You owe it all to him!"_

 _"Your mother is right," Uncle Kristoff added, his brow furrowing with disappointment. "You really don't know how lucky you are. You'd best apologize to your aunt and cousin the minute you see them."_

 _But Thomas did not look like he was about to give up without a fight. "Of course I'd owe it to a dead man," he spat, nursing his still-stinging cheek. "It's not like either of you were ever there for me anyway. Face it, it's clear your_ precious nephew _is only one that matters around here!" Having said his piece, he angrily stomped off._

 _Ross bit his lip. Although Thomas was always trying antagonize him and put him down, Ross still pitied and worried for his older cousin. If had to be honest with himself, Thomas was actually the privileged one as he at least could have the luxury of solitude and people were more likely to actually acknowledge him as his own person and not see him as a tool for their own self-interests. And of course, despite what Thomas said about his own parents, Ross could see that Anna and Kristoff still cared for him very much, and it would be a shame to see their relationship deteriorate as well._

 _Still, Thomas did have a point. It was terribly unfair for Ross to have a steed, whilst his cousin had to wait far longer for his own. Perhaps just this once, he could pull some strings and help Thomas out._

* * *

"Little Ross, is that you?"

The redhead snapped out of his reverie to see another snowman waddle towards him. This one was small, far smaller that Marshmallow, only coming up to Ross' knee. He was also rather comparatively malformed, as if he had been built by a child, and in a way, he was. He was Olaf, the oldest of his mother's creations, based on an imaginary childhood friend.

"Yes, it's me Olaf!" greeted the prince. "And no longer so little," he added, laughing as the snowman named Olaf hugged him.

"So I see," Olaf remarked, ushering into the ice castle. "Time sure does fly, doesn't it? It seems like it was only yesterday when you were but a tiny baby who liked to take my carrot nose."

"I did?" Ross laughed as he set his bag down and took out a pair of skates.

"Yep!" Olaf replied with a peppy nod. "And every time they tried to make you give it back, you'd put up quite the fuss." He wiped at an imaginary tear. "Whew! Good times…"

"I could imagine," said Ross as he strapped the skates to his feet. "Speaking of which, would you like to join me for a few laps, Olaf?"

"But of course!" squealed the snowman. "You know how I like to glide and pivot."

As the two of them began to dance around the castle's main hall, they were then joined in by a pack of tiny snowmen – Snowgies. They crowded around Olaf and Ross as they skated in and about the icy floor. Sometimes, the Snowgies would even weave in between Ross and Olaf just to see them do more complex tricks to avoid squashing them. One was even plucky enough to jump on Ross' boot and enjoy the ride.

Ross laughed, and skated faster still. Skating was one of the ways for him to de-stress, especially since his home life had become rather aggravating. His mother constantly hovered over him, Uncle Caleb was always nagging about "the rules", his other relatives were far too passive to speak up on his behalf, and then there was Thomas who was always belittling him in an attempt to start a fight.

His only solace was that his Aunt Anna, Uncle Kristoff, and Cousin Snehvide were there to speak up for him. But sadly, as junior members of the family, their opinions did not have much clout.

But what really took the cake was an incident that took place just a few weeks ago.

* * *

 _Beneath the iridescent glow of the Northern Lights, a team of ice harvesters could be seen silently trudging through the deep snow towards a frozen lake, the only sound being the crunch of their boots against the snow, and the low grunts of their pack animals as they dragged their sleighs up the mountain path._

 _At the very rear of the group, Ross pulled down his hat and burrowed himself deeper into his scarf. His face was smudged with ashes and dirt, a somewhat clumsy attempt to disguise himself as he infiltrated that group of men. So far, no one had noticed him, at least until the foreman did the headcount and discovered that there was one extra person among their number. He peered down at Ross, scrutinizing him. Beads of sweat began to form on the prince's brow as he prayed that he would not be recognized._

 _"Aren't you a bit too young to be here?" the foreman asked, his brows scrunching under the weight of his stare._

 _"No sir, I'm of age," Ross replied, his tone firm and confident. And he had every right to be. At eighteen, he was legally an adult._

 _"I find that hard to believe," the foreman scoffed, eliciting some chuckles and snickers from the other men. He poked at Ross' slender form, which looked even smaller underneath Kristoff's old ice harvesting outfit. "You're far too delicate to be here. Ice harvesting is a man's job, not playtime for pretty boys like you."_

 _"That's true," Ross told him, "But a man's stature doesn't measure his might. Please sir, give me a chance and I'll show you what I can do."_

 _The foreman worked his jaw, trying to fine a proper response to Ross' rebuttal, but ultimately found himself at a loss for words. "Very well, then," he finally said. "But it's your funeral. You have been warned."_

 _And thus Ross set to work. He labored alongside with the rest of the men, hewing large blocks of ice from the lake's frozen surface and hauling them towards the sleighs, before loading them up for transport. It was heavy, back-breaking work, but not once did he complain. He was there on his own volition, to observe the working class and see if the changes he had implemented were being put into practice, and if anything else needed to be improved. As the crown heir, he had learned that the best way to make improvements was for one to personally witness the problems himself._

 _Everything was going smoothly, so far. There had been no reports of accidents and the new cranes and pulleys were operating without a hint of trouble. Overall, Ross was pleased._

 _After about four hours of work, the foreman rang his bell. "Time for lunch!" he hollered. Upon hearing this, everyone dropped their tasks and made their to the sleighs to unpack their meals._

 _Sitting ways away from the main group, Ross opened his pouch and took out his lunch. It was a simple fare – a loaf of bread, a few sausages, and a crock of lapskaus, which he discreetly heated with his pyrokinesis._

 _He had just bitten into a piece of sausage when he heard someone calling him. He looked up to see the foreman walking towards him, carrying his lunch pail._

 _"Mind if I sit with you?" he asked._

 _"Go right ahead," Ross replied, gesturing to the empty spot in front of him._

 _"Thanks," said the older man. "Before anything, I want to apologize for what I said to you before. You really made me eat my words. You were impressive out there on the field!"_

 _Ross shrugged. "It's nothing, really."_

 _"Nonsense!" said the man, tearing off a hunk of gravy-soaked bread. "Never in my life have I seen a such a skilled rookie! Where did you learn how to harvest ice like that?"_

 _"Well, my uncle was an ice harvester right until he retired."_

 _The foreman gave a low whistle. "He definitely taught you well. Say, why don't we go over there and eat with the rest of the men? They would be glad to learn some tips and tricks from you." He chuckled. "God knows it'd boost our production."_

 _"Thanks, but I'll have to pass," Ross replied. "I–"_

 _"WHAT SORT OF MONKEYSHINE IS THIS!?"_

 _The two men looked up to see the other ice harvesters arguing with a squadron of uniformed men. For a moment, Ross panicked, wondering if his mother had discovered his absence; but as he drew closer, he noticed that those men were not dressed in the green uniforms of the castle guards, but rather, the blue uniforms of the Arendelle police force._

 _"What's going on here?" the foreman asked, walking over to them. Ross followed not too far behind._

 _"They're taxing us again!" shouted one of the ice harvesters, amidst the cacophony of clamoring voices. "Can you believe that?"_

 _"Don't we pay them enough?" complained another, "I barely make enough to put food on the table!" At this, more protests rose up from the gathered workmen._

 _"Can it, you mangy lot! It's the queen's orders! Now round up the money, we haven't got all day!" barked the sheriff, a short, squat fellow whom Ross recognized as a member of the lower nobility. He barely managed to suppress a sneer at the very sight of the man as he heavily disliked him. He had heard many unsavory stories and reports about this sheriff; and based on the information he had gathered, it was quite evident that the man had bribed his way into the position._

 _"I am not paying a kroner more!" the foreman exclaimed in protest, "Why do we even need to pay all these taxes?!"_

 _"You insubordinate churl!" shouted the sheriff, "Do you dare question me?" He gestured to his men with a sharp jerk of his neck. "Clean them out!"_

 _"Hey, hey! Stop! You can't do that!" shouted the foreman, running up to block the policemen's path. Unfortunately, his pleas fell on deaf ears, and one of them, a burly, muscular man, stepped forward and promptly punched him for all his troubles._

 _Ross was infuriated by the sight of such injustice. He was done being a bystander. Steeling himself, he ran over to the sheriff and his men. "Hey!" he shouted. "Pick on somebody your own size!"_

 _"Huh?" The burly policeman looked up only to see Ross deliver a devastating roundhouse kick to his ribs, effectively knocking the wind out of him. But Ross was not yet done. To the shock of everyone around him, he lunged towards the bigger man and kicked upwards, striking him hard on the chin. There was a resounding crack as the man went flying backwards and was promptly knocked out cold._

 _He whirled towards the rest of the police force, pinning them down with a disapproving glare. Having seen one of their number be taken down by a much smaller opponent, they all stepped back, staring at him in awe and fear._

 _"Y-you-you filthy peasant! You dare attack a representative of the queen?" sputtered the sheriff, his pudgy face now purple with rage._

 _"Not another word from you!" Ross shouted, stepping in between the ice harvesters and the policemen. "The police force is meant to serve and protect Arendelle's citizens, but after what I have seen today, all I see are a gang of thugs. Now apologize to these men and return what is rightfully theirs!"_

 _The sheriff laughed, his tone harsh and mocking. "As if! It'd be a cold day in hell before I'd ever take orders from filthy gutter rats like you."_

 _Ross glared up at the sheriff, disgusted by the man's corruption. Eyes blazing, he drew quickly drew the smallsword hanging by his hip. "Very well, then."_

 _The sheriff grinned wickedly. "Aha! Not only are you trash, but you're a brigand too! This must be my lucky day because the Crown has a bounty on scum like you!"_

 _"I'm giving you one last chance," Ross warned coldly, "Apologize to these men now."_

 _But his words fell on deaf ears. "You two," barked the sheriff, gesturing to his remaining lackeys with a snap of his fingers. Take care of this insolent brat. I want to have his head, preferably mounted onto my wall."_

 _With a nod, they charged towards Ross, weapons drawn. Ross smirked to himself. This was so predictable. He feinted, sliding down just as the first guard lunged at him, and quickly spun on his heel, nailing the man with yet another skyward kick. And by using the man's weight against him, the blow was powerful enough to send him flying into a cart. It was also here that one of the ice harvesters decided to take advantage of the situation and discreetly pulled the cart's door latch, causing the ice blocks inside to slide down, hitting the guard on the head. Fortunately, the blocks were small and merely knocked him out._

 _Even with his partner out for the count, the last standing member of the sheriff's thugs remained undaunted. With a feral snarl, he went for Ross, eager to draw blood. Metal rang against metal, their blades clashing in a vicious battle for supremacy._

 _Despite all his training, Ross still struggled. This was after all his first real fight against a more experienced foe. But in a stroke of luck, he managed to find an opening. Using the slippery terrain to his advantage, he slid down and managed to catch his opponent by headbutting him under his chin. The shock of it was enough to stun the man, allowing Ross to deliver the finishing blow._

 _By now, the sheriff was pale with fright. This was no ordinary brigand! No man could ever take on three elite policemen at once and live to tell the tale. "This can't be happening!" he cried as he fumbled for his pistol and aimed it at Ross, "You're just a filthy peasant. You're beneath– Yaaagh!"_

 _Before he could even pull the trigger, he suddenly dropped the firearm. It hit the ground with an audible thud, its body glowing red. Already, the frozen earth around it had begun to thaw._

 _Ross extinguished the flickering flames dancing around his fingertips. Then, in one swift motion, he yanked off his hat and wiped the dirt off his face._

 _"Still think you're above me?" he growled, looming menacingly over the trembling sheriff._

 _A collective gasp could be heard from all the men gathered as realization dawn upon them._

 _"It's him…" one of the ice harvesters whispered almost reverently. "It's Crown Prince Rosenrød."_

 _"Saints preserve us," wailed the first policeman, "We're dead men!"_

 _They fell to their knees in shock and awe. What were the odds that their prince whom they were supposed to serve and protect would be the one to serve and protect them instead?_

* * *

In the end, everything turned out well for the ice harvesters. After a thorough investigation led by Ross' Uncle Søren, it turned out that the sheriff had been imposing unapproved taxes upon the general populace. Fortunately, he had not been doing it for very long, and his ill-gotten gains had been repossessed and returned to their rightful owners.

Still, Ross was unhappy with the outcome. Despite his crimes, the sheriff had merely been jailed for two weeks. Yes, he had also been fined a hefty amount and sacked from his position, but in Ross' eyes, it was still not enough. Given how many people had suffered under the sheriff's corruption, he deserved more than just a bit of jail time.

To add insult to injury, despite his hand in exposing and resolving the scandal, Ross was punished for his involvement in the incident on the grounds that he had snuck out after his designated curfew. ' _It's ridiculous_!' he grumbled to himself. ' _I'm eighteen, not eight! They don't need to constantly watch over me like I'm some helpless infant. I can take care of myself_!'

Many times, he had tried to reason with his aunts and uncles, and most especially, his mother, but none of them ever bothered to listen. "It's for your own good, Ross," they would say. "We love you, you know that." The only grown-ups who did sympathize with him were his Uncle Kristoff and Aunt Anna, but even they were powerless against his mother. He was sick of it – the overprotectiveness, the stifling atmosphere, everything! It was as if he lived in a gilded cage.

"Ross, Ross! You there?"

He sighed exasperatedly at the sound of Uncle Lars' voice. What could he possibly want? What lecture was he being dragged to now? As much as Ross loved his uncle, he wanted some time to reflect. But recently, it seemed that his relatives were always butting into his affairs.

"Ross!" Uncle Lars called again. "If you're not coming out, I'm going in."

He sighed again. Skidding to a stop, he packed his skates and bid his farewell to Olaf, Marshmallow, and the snowgies as he made his way back to the main entrance. Sure enough, there he found Lars waiting for him along with five other castle guards.

Upon seeing Ross, Uncle Lars immediately began fussing over him. "Where have you been?" he scolded, throwing a fine fur cloak over Ross' shoulders.

"Just around," Ross replied, shrugging off the cumbersome garment, only to have the bespectacled man wrap it tighter around him. "Uncle, please!"

"You'll catch your death of cold up here," Uncle Lars rebutted, his teeth chattering. "And besides, you've been gone for hours. Everyone's been worried sick about you, especially your mother!"

Ross huffed, annoyed. "Mother is such a worrywart. I haven't been away that long, and besides the cold doesn't bother me anyway."

"Still, it's because she cares," Uncle Lars told him. He gently ushered him towards where Sleipnir was waiting. "Come on, let's– Hey!" Out of nowhere, a blur of white swooped down from above and swept his glasses from off his nose.

"You cheeky rascal!" Lars called, pointing at the albino raven now perched on Ross' shoulder with his spectacles glinting in her beak. "Give those back!" He didn't mind that Ross kept pet animals, but what he _did_ mind was the fact that said animals were a frighteningly massive wolf and a mischievous albino raven. ' _Really, couldn't it hurt for Ross to own less stressful pet like a cat or a songbird_?'

"Come now, Uncle, she's just playing. Aren't you, girl?" Ross chuckled, gently stroking Muninn. He then gently eased Lars' spectacles from out of her beak. "Besides," he added, passing them back to the other redhead. "You don't really need these anymore, what with me healing your eyes and all."

"True," Lars replied, slipping them on, "But it's no secret that I've been practically blind my whole life. The moment people see me without these…" He then tapped his glasses for emphasis. "…they're going to think it's some miracle. And when it comes to miracles, people will talk, and I mean _talk_. And I'd hate to imagine the possible consequences should this ever be traced back to you..."

"So they say…" Ross murmured as he tried not to think too hard of yet another recent incident involving his powers. Without another protest, he hoisted himself up onto Sleipnir's back and made his way home with Lars and the castle guards following close behind.

"I just don't know what to do with him anymore!" Elsa cried, throwing her hands up in exasperation as she paced back and forth around the throne room. "Why does he always have to complicate things?"

"If you want my honest opinion, Elsa, I think you should stop smothering him and ease up a little," Anna told her. "Ross is practically the gold standard for what a Crown Prince should be. He knows his duties and obligations and he's got the kingdom's best interests at heart. What more do you want?"

Elsa turned onto her sister, eyes blazing. "That's just it! I don't want him doing any of these things. I want him home, safe by my side."

"Honestly, you're overdoing it. He's practically an adult! He needs his space and–"

But before Anna could say anything else, the great double doors swung upon and in walked Ross, accompanied by Lars.

Fenrir, who had been lying at the far corner of the throne room immediately perked up and walked over to greet the young prince by licking his hand.

"Glad to see you too, Fenrir," he murmured, rubbing the wolf's ear in response.

However, that sweet moment was cut short when Elsa stalked over to them. "Leave us…" she hissed, not looking at anyone in particular.

Not wanting to be on the receiving end of the queen's fury, both Lars and Anna left, but not before mumbling their apologies to Ross.

Once they were completely alone, Elsa angrily turned towards her son, and before Ross could even react, she slapped him right across the face.

"Are you trying to drive me to an early grave?" she shouted, her anger reverberating across the room. "I told you to stay in the castle at all times, and still, you deliberately disobeyed me!"

"Mother…" Ross began, trying his best to rein in his tears as he nursed his stinging cheek.

"Don't 'Mother' me!" she snapped. "I raised you to be the proper crown prince, the future king! Not some pigheaded, rebellious hoodlum!"

"Now that's not fair!" Ross shot back. "You're being unreasonable!"

Elsa's normally pale features were scarlet with outrage. "Excuse me? What did you just say?"

"You know what I said!" yelled Ross. "I'm doing my best Mother! I've studied and practiced all the things a crown prince should know! And all I ever wanted was to apply what I've learned to help our kingdom and our people, but how do you expect me to be a good heir if you keep me locked up behind walls!"

However, his words only seemed to infuriate her further. "I will not be made the enemy here! You know why we don't go out there!"

"No I don't!" he shouted. "So tell me, why do you keep shutting our own people out?"

But even this impassioned outburst fell on deaf ears. Elsa merely stood there, staring at Ross silent and stone-faced. "You do not question me, Røsenrod," she warned. Already, a chill was beginning to pick up, a sign that she was about to reach the breaking point. "In case you forgot, I am more than just your mother– I am your queen, and as such, my word is law."

Ross huffed, turning away in anger and disgust. He had always detested the very idea of using social hierarchy to invalidate an argument as it was nothing more than a way for aristocrats to assert their superiority. It wouldn't have been so bad if they had used their position to help their fellow man, but most of them just saw it as a way to impose their will on others.

Just then, a cool hand reached for his chin, gently guiding Ross to face his mother. "You do know that I love you, don't you?" she asked, tenderly caressing that self-same cheek she had so cruelly struck just moments earlier.

He exhaled audibly. "Yes, Mother."

"Then you must understand that all this is for your own good," she whispered. "I just want you to be safe. You are my treasure Ross… If something were to happen to you, I would never forgive myself."

Again, Ross averted his gaze, this time in guilt. He knew very well that his mother did indeed love him and he wholly reciprocated those sentiments. Still, he wanted to prove to her that he could be a good heir.

"Now then," Elsa went on, "I believe you owe me an apology.

"But–"

"I said I believe you owe me an apology." Already, her voice was beginning to pick up an edge.

He huffed again. "I'm sorry, Mother."

She nodded, placated by his apology. She then carefully guided his head down and planted a gentle kiss on his forehead. "I love you, my little king."

"I love you too, Mother."

 _ **Beta writter: Nightrain and Brownstone.**_

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note: Oh no... Poor Ross, Poor Elsa... I would say more but.. sorry... for now I hope you enjoy the chapter,**_ _ **please leave a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for the next chapter..**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Authors note: I apologize for the delay in this chapter as life got in the way. Hopefully more chapters will come by with more consistency soon. For now I want to thank you all for reviewing and reading the last chapter. Hearing your opinions means a lot and they also help if I need to edit or make something better.**_

 _ **Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.**_

* * *

Having retreated to her study, Elsa paced back and forth across the room, frustrated to no end. She knew that being a mother was hard work, and being a single mother even more so, but when had things become so out of hand?

A part of her was angry, furious at Ross and his mutinous behavior. But another part of her also felt guilty especially in regards to their last conversation. She could see he was doing the right thing, contributing for betterment of the kingdom to the best of his ability, and she had repaid him by slapping him and scolding him for it.

Doubt clouded her mind. ' _Was I wrong? Had I been too harsh with him – ? No! I am his queen and mother, not his friend. I have to be firm with him or there will be consequences. And yet_ …' She slumped into her chair, overwrought with her conflicting thoughts. ' _The more I try to rein him in, the more he rebels_.' She sighed, staring up at the joint portrait of her and her late consort. ' _Oh Hans, what should I do_?'

Just then, there was a sharp rap at the door. "Aunt Elsa, it's me, Thomas. May I come in?"

"You may."

The door creaked open and Thomas stepped in, carrying a silver serving tray laden with pastries, a pot of tea, and a delightful assortment of chocolates.

"You look stressed," he observed setting the tray down. With the elegance of a well-bred gentleman, he poured her a cup of tea and handed it to his aunt. "Perhaps a short break might in good order."

The queen smiled wanly, accepting it. "Thank you, dear, you're so thoughtful." She took a small sip of the hot brew, relishing in its soothing warmth. "Honestly, I just don't know what to do with Ross. I'm doing my best to be a good mother to him, but he's just so stubborn!"

He put his hand over hers, patting it gently. "I'm sorry to hear that, Aunt Elsa. I wish there was something that I could do for you."

"You're too kind," she cajoled in between sips. "I couldn't ask for a better nephew. Ross could definitely learn a thing or two from you."

"Anything for you, Aunt Elsa." He raised his own cup, pressing it against his lips. But unlike Elsa, Thomas did not drink a single drop. Instead, the teacup was being used to hide a dark smirk as he watched her drink the special brew he had prepared _exclusively_ for her.

* * *

Ross slumped against the window, gazing glumly at the world outside. ' _House arrest, yet again_ …' he mentally groaned. ' _How many times has it been this month? Three? Four? Yeesh… That's got to be a new record_.'

Nearby, Muninn was busy helping herself to a half-eaten sandwich that was had been part of Ross' lunch. The vicious cycle of rebellion and punishment was taking its toll on him, most especially his appetite. He just could not imagine the idea of eating well when many of his subjects could barely scrape up a proper meal for themselves. After she had eaten her fill, Muninn then flew over to her master and landed on his knee.

"Sometimes I envy you," he sighed, gently stroking the raven's white plumage. "At least your mother never had to keep you on a tight leash."

In a way, there was some truth to his words. Birds were considered adults the moment they were able to fly. And despite being a pet, Muninn had always had an air of headstrong independence about her.

Even though seven years had passed, Ross could still clearly remember the day he found her...

* * *

 ** _April 30, 1856…_**

 _Ross had been taking a stroll in the castle gardens that day when he had noticed a bird's nest wedged between some rose bushes. Peering inside, he found a single egg. Excited, he called Uncle Caleb, only to be told to leave it, as to not agitate the mother. Still, he wanted to know what kind of bird could have laid the egg, so he ducked behind a nearby elm tree and observed the nest, hoping to catch a glimpse._

 _After three hours of waiting, Ross began to realize that the mother might not be returning to the nest. Uncle Lars had told him that not all eggs under their mother's care hatched, but Ross doubted that the egg before him was a dud. After ruminating over his options, decided to take his chances and hatch it himself._

 _He gently pried the nest out of the bushes and took it indoors where he kept the egg incubated with an oil lamp. It was a long, tedious process, and he spent a lot of time with the egg, despite Uncle Lars warning him that it was a waste of time and effort._

 _But sure enough, Ross' persistence paid off when the egg finally hatched, much to his wonderment and delight. At first the chick, whom he named Muninn, looked and behaved like any other hatchling, but as she began to vocalize and sprout feathers, it became apparent that she was no ordinary bird. In fact, Ross had found a rare, leucistic northern raven._

 _After this discovery, Uncle Lars was quick to admit that he had been wrong about the egg being a dud and that Ross had done the right thing by taking it in. Leucistic ravens never survived long in the wild, as they were shunned by own kind, even to the point of hostility. In fact, as was the case with Muninn, they were sometimes abandoned by their own parents even before they hatched._

 _"How could a mother even think to do that?" Ross asked, appalled by the idea. He could not even imagine someone discarding his offspring because of something beyond its control._

 _"It's survival of the fittest," Lars replied. "Even we humans aren't immune to it. If you recall, the ancient Spartans only kept the healthiest offspring, and disposed of any babies born with even the slightest deformity. Sometimes, nature is just cruel."_

* * *

' _Cruel, huh_ …' he mused, thinking back to Lars' words. ' _No… No, I don't think so_ …'

His mother was many things, but cruel was not one of them. Yes, she was distant and reserved towards her subjects, but she had never abused her authority nor was she draconian with her laws. And when she was with her family, she did open up a bit more and was fiercely protective of them, to the point that she would face death itself if she could.

But lately her protective nature had become suffocating. On one hand, he knew it stemmed from the best intentions and maternal instinct, not to mention that he was her only child. But on the other, it was frustrating to have her treat him as if he was some delicate porcelain doll that could break at the slightest touch.

He winced as he placed a hand on his cheek. It was still smarting from when his mother had slapped him. He closed his eyes and concentrated his saddest memories and thoughts, and it wasn't long before his face was wet with tears.

He then rubbed the teardrops over his cheek, and like some Biblical miracle, the redness began to subside as did the sting.

Ross had just begun to wipe his eyes dry when he heard his door open with an audible creak. He looked up to see Snehvide walk in, carrying a plate of cookies.

"I figured you'd want some company and some comfort food," she quipped, grinning widely as she thrust the plate under Ross' nose. "Here, take one!"

"Thanks," said Ross, taking a sugar-frosted butter cookie. He bit into it, savoring the smooth richness of the confection. Like his mother, aunt, and grandmother, he also had a sweet tooth, though he wasn't as vocal about it as they were.

"So… What's the plan?" Snehvide asked, munching loudly on her own cookie.

Ross dusted his hands, brushing the crumbs off his gloves. "What makes you think I have a plan?"

She raised a brow. "Hello? I'm practically your sister! I pretty much know you like the back of my hand."

The crown prince chuckled. "Well, I can't deny that." And as far as Ross knew, it was true. Ever since that fateful encounter with Thomas after the trip to Corona, the relationship between the two princes suddenly turned sour, and as the years went by they became more and more estranged.

Ross was aware that he and Thomas could never be alike, but even with their differing preferences, hobbies, and temperament, they had always gotten along. But since that day, there had been a drastic change in Thomas' personality and he began shutting Ross out.

Worse still, in the years that followed, Thomas had adopted a philosophy that made it difficult for any chances of reconciliation. More often than not, Ross would find the older boy fraternizing with the scions of other noble houses. It in itself would have not been so bad, but these nobles were the type that looked down on the common folk as if they were less than dirt. Ross had once confronted Thomas about it, only to be told that it was against royal protocol for someone of their standing to consort himself with the common folk.

As a result of this broken bond, Snehvide eventually took up the mantle of Ross' best friend and confidant in her brother's stead, and it was here that Ross grew to appreciate her company and see her as surrogate sibling, a sentiment that Snehvide wholeheartedly reciprocated.

"So, will you tell me?" Snehvide prodded, playfully jabbing her cousin in the ribs.

Ross smirked. "Remember the trader's ball?"

The junior princess frowned, remembering that disastrous evening all those years ago. "Yes, but what about it?"

The smirk on Ross' lips grew more calculating still. "Let's just say that it's going to be instrumental in my ultimate revenge plan."

"Eh?"

He nodded. "You heard me correctly, and you're going to be my right-hand woman. For the plan, the first thing I'm going to do is…"

* * *

"You want to do _what_?!" Anna exclaimed, eyes bulging in shock. Behind her, Caleb looked just as dumbfounded.

"I want to take part in organizing this year's St. John's Eve festival," Ross replied. "I've got big plans too, as I intend to invite every royal family and noble family across Europe."

At this point, Caleb was now staring at him as if he was some kind of sideshow oddity. It was quite ambitious of Ross to attempt such an endeavor, but this was a high-stakes game he was playing. Even if it was for a simple summer festival, the sheer number of high-ranking foreign visitors meant that absolute diplomacy was a must. Every detail, no matter how insignificant had to be impeccable. Should anything go awry, it could potentially spell disaster and stain Ross' reputation as well as that of his family. It was common knowledge by that point, so why did he insist on taking such a risk?

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, his brow furrowed with concern. "It will be quite the responsibility."

"I understand, but I'm doing this out of my own volition," Ross told him. "As the crown prince and future king, it is my duty to foster goodwill and camaraderie between Arendelle and other sovereign states, so what better way is there but to invite them to a cultural festival? Also, as my birthday takes place just three days prior, we could make it a double celebration. What do you think?"

Caleb pensively chewed his lip. While he could not find any flaw in his nephew's logic, he still could not help but feel worried. Even with the most competent of aides, it was going to be a task most difficult. He turned to Anna, silently imploring her to dissuade Ross from Herculean endeavor he was about to embark on.

"Well, if that's what you want, by all means, go ahead!" she said cheerily, much to Caleb's utter dismay.

Ross beamed her approval. "Thank you, Auntie!" he said, hugging her before running off to assemble his crew. "I promise, you won't regret this!"

"What was _that_?" Caleb hissed, once Ross was out of earshot.

She blinked up at him. "What was what?"

" _That_! Are you trying to condemn us all or something?"

Just then, Anna whirled to face him, her eyes blazing with righteous indignation. "You know what your problem is, Caleb? You don't trust him. You think he isn't good enough. Everyone's always trying to stifle him, to mold him into a replica of Hans. Well, Ross is not Hans! He is his own person. It's no wonder, he's always trying to prove himself."

"It's not that, I just think he–"

"No, you don't," she countered coldly, "Out of all people, I thought _you'd_ be able to relate, but you don't understand his pain at all. All his life, Ross has struggled to establish his own identity and escape the shadow of his father's legacy, and it hurts him. He's treated like a glass doll and any achievement he has is rendered moot because of his father. It pressures him and hinders him because he can't do anything at his own pace, at his own choice."

"And just what are we supposed to do then?" Caleb retorted.

"We trust him," Anna replied as if it was the most obvious solution in the world. "We'll stand by his side and watch him carve his own path. We'll provide guidance and advice if needed, but that's it. He's becoming a man. From now on, whatever decision he makes will be his own."

* * *

Planning for such an important event was a lot of work, but Ross was determined to cinch its success. He took heed to ask for advice and seek assistance when it was needed and he took the time research the festival traditions and their significance.

When it was time to select the venue, he decided to open the festival in the fjord's north bank. It was an open area that would provide ample room to avoid overcrowding, and it had an amazing view of Arendelle Castle and the capital city of Christiana. Already, he had commissioned carpenters to build booths and pavilions for the participating guilds.

But the most daring aspect of this whole operation was that he had also invited the heirs and monarchs all across Europe to attend the festival. A successful event would definitely put Arendelle on the map for potential trade partners and political allies, but it was also a dangerous move on Ross' part as it put pressure on him to ensure that every aspect of the festival had to be _perfect_. Anything less could be considered as an insult, and a good reason to declare war. Still, Ross was willing to take the risk. Many of these guests had already RSVP'ed, so it was now all or nothing.

 ** _To be continued..._**

* * *

 _ **Fun fact: During this time period it was a rather nervous one for royalty as people are aware that the power lies on their peoples hands not the ruler causing huge changes and clashes as old traditions/way of life and new ones collide. The royals who try to maintain their power yet struggle a bit as they have to appeal and relate to their people by adopting new customs while at the same time trying to hold unto old customs, powers and traditions.  
**_

 _ **Authors note: ohhhh did Ross bit up more than he could chew? I will not say for I do not want to spoil, for now I thank you all for reading and ask if you could please review and tell me what you think as your opinions matter.**_ _ **  
**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**Authors note: Hi, hope your all still enjoying! I apologize for the late update, life got in the way, but hope the update will be worth the wait!**_

 _ **Any way, hope you all enjoy it and please review when done as your opinions are important so I can make the best story possible. :)**_

* * *

The days leading up to this year's Midsummer Festival grew increasingly hectic as more and more foreign vessels sailed up the fjords into Arendelle's capital. The harbor was awash with colorful banners fluttering in the wind, each one proudly displayed the crests and sigils of their home nation – Great Britain's Union Jack, the double-headed eagles of Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary, France's golden fleur-de-lis, and even the azure dragon of the Great Qing of the Far East.

The dockside was bustling with activity as passengers and sailors hurried to the inns and taverns, whilst the porters and stevedores loaded the foreign goods onto delivery wagons. The pier at Christiana had become so packed to the point that domestic ships had to be routed to the harbor at Drammen some 40 kilometers to the west, where passengers and cargo could make a land journey eastwards to the capital.

At the same time, Ross was hard at work, harvesting vegetables from the castle greenhouse. While most other royals filled their greenhouses and topiaries with exotic flowers and ornamental fruits, Ross dedicated his to growing food crops such vegetables, fruits, and berries. The only area of the castle greenhouse that had any ornamental plants was the central foyer. There, one could find circular plot if land, entirely covered with red blossoms and a red weeping willow which had been imported from the New World.

As Ross loaded the vegetables into a handcart, he took note of the inventory on his pocket journal. Said journal was filled with notes on farming techniques to ensure optimum food production. A couple of years back, he had launched his own charity project, a feeding program for the capital's poorest households where any surplus vegetables grown in the castle would be donated away.

It was a routine that he had gotten accustomed over the last few years, and it gave him an excuse to leave the confines of the castle; but after an incident that took place roughly two years ago, it was a miracle he was still allowed to venture beyond the gates…

* * *

 ** _Christiana, Arendelle – 1861_**

 _Humming a merry little tune, Ross grinned to himself as made his way home with his now-empty produce cart. It had been a good day giving away the surplus produce from the castle gardens to the less fortunate. Yes, they were from the lower echelons of society, but they were still loyal to the Arendellian crown, thus this charitable act was the least that Ross could do in gratitude of their steadfast service._

 _"They definitely need it more," he said to himself, "No use hoarding it up and letting it go to waste."_

 _Along the way, he passed by a few dimly-lit alleys. Not exactly uncommon as street lights at the time were powered by oil burners, and to install one in such a narrow path was just an accident waiting to happen. Because of this, such locations have become frequented by pickpockets and muggers alike; but Ross was not afraid. The combat training he had received from Caleb and Shuangsong was beginning to pay off, and he could definitely hold his own in a fight._

 _However, what Ross did not expect was for him to be ganged up by so many men. He tried his best to fight back, but unlike the wild punches of a typical street tough or the sluggish swings of an angry drunkard, the men he were fighting were disciplined and could parry him blow-by-blow._

'Discharged soldiers out for revenge?'

 _It was at this point that he considered using his powers, but before he could do so, a sharp blow to his temple knocked the wind out of him, allowing them to overpower him._

 _Just before his consciousness completely slipped away, he was able to pick up some tidbits of their conversation:_

 _"Get him to the ship!"_

'A ship!? Where the hell are you taking me?'

 _"Bloody hell, hurry up!"_

 _"Blimey! He's all banged up, what did you bloody do?"_

'Sounds like an Englishman… What is going on here?'

 _"The Queen's not going t' like this…"_

'Knowing Mother, she definitely won't.'

 _"Who? Ours or his?"_

 _"How about both? No matter, we have to leave now! Only he can save him."_

'Save him? Who's _him_?'

 _With that last thought, he succumbed to the blackness and he knew no more._

* * *

 _A gentle rocking motion stirred Ross from his slumber. He groaned, burying his head deeper into soft pillows beneath him, but the motions did not stop. Frowning, he sat up only to be assailed by a throbbing pain to the side of his head and several more all over his body. Just then, it all came back to him – a gang of men, an ambush, followed by an all-out brawl._

 _As he took in his surroundings, it was clear that he was not in his room, or anywhere in Arendelle for that matter. The constant rocking indicated that he was in a boat, somewhere out at sea. Kicking off the blankets, he made his way to the door and jiggled it, only to find it locked. 'Kidnapped,' he thought to himself, cursing his luck. '_ But who would _–?'_

 _Slavers were definitely out of the question. Instead being chained up in a rat-infested brig teeming disease and decay, he had been confined in a private cabin; and the cot he had been lying in had clean linens, blankets, and pillows. Whoever had snatched him explicitly had his comfort in mind._

 _Just then the jingling of keys of keys could be heard behind the heavy wooden door, and moments later, the lock clicked open. He looked up and saw a pair of burly men wearing the black-and-gold of the British Royal Navy enter the room, one of them carrying a tray of food. The man then set it down on the rough-hewn table, and without another word, both sailors left, not even bothering to spare him a glance._

 _They were afraid, that much Ross could tell – but whether it was of their benefactor or his mother. To disobey the command of the ruling monarch could be interpreted as treason of the highest order, and Queen Victoria was not a very forgiving woman. However, only the truly foolish would dare to cross the Queen of Arendelle, and while she had never execute those who did, her methods of dealing with them would make them pray for death._

 _As soon as they were gone, Ross walked over to the table to find that a nice little spread had been laid out for him. It looked quite tempting too – a traditional English breakfast of hard-boiled eggs, fried dough, bacon, and a few slices of tomatoes and cheese served with a piping hot cup of black tea – but as hungry as he was, Ross did not touch the food. Queen Victoria might have ordered her men to treat him hospitably, but there was no telling if there were any underlying motives. The legend of Ptolemy and the Maccabees came to mind, cold betrayal concealed with the promise of friendship and goodwill._

 _'_ Now you're just being paranoid and stupid _…' he scolded himself. As cutthroat the British Queen was, there was to reason for her to turn against his mother. Arendelle was an ally of the British Empire, and the fact that they had recently conquered India established Queen Victoria's position as the most preeminent of the European monarchs._

 _In fact, killing him would be moot because it meant war, and those who were familiar with Queen Elsa knew that it would be suicide to incur her wrath. No… …it had to be another reason._

 _But even so, it rankled him that an allied country would stoop so low as to kidnap him, and knowing his mother, she was not going to take it well. Out of spiteful rebellion, Ross refused to touch the provisions that had been left for him. Day in, day out, not a morsel or sip touched his lips. He could see concern and even panic building up among the sailors who delivered his meals, but he was not going to give them any quarter._

 _But in the end, doing a hunger strike proved to be a stupid, futile move. After two days without any sustenance, he had grown weak from hunger and thirst. The moment he was given food, he pounced on it like a rabid animal, scarfing it down so fast that he practically made himself sick._

* * *

 _Some time in the dead of night, Ross was jolted awake by an excruciating sensation coming from his lower abdomen. The pain was so bad that it was could be felt all the way down to his legs. He gasped, beads of sweat forming on his brow as he curled into a ball, trying to staunch the pain, but to no avail. As he lay wracked in agony, he wondered if there really had been some basis on his suspicions about his food having been poisoned._

 _Just then he felt the boat stop, and the faint sound of voices above deck indicated that they were now docking. Not long after, a quartet of soldiers dragged him out of the cell and down the gangplank towards the wharf where a lone carriage sat, waiting for them. They then forced him inside, and soon the carriage was off in one of the most unpleasant rides of Ross' life. As it sped down London's cobblestone streets, the bumps in the road jostled and rattled the passengers inside, exacerbating Ross' stomachache._

 _Finally, the carriage stopped, and he was once again dragged out by the soldiers to an edifice he recognized as Windsor Castle. They then led him inside the Great Hall, and into one of the private rooms. There, a man could be seen lying in a bed, surrounded by a group of grim-faced doctors. As he was brought closer, he could also five people he knew all too well – Queen Victoria and her four sons, Edward, Alfred, Arthur, and Leopold. If they were there, that only meant that the bedridden man was none other than the Price Consort Albert himself._

 _All this time, Ross could barely stand because of the intense pain. There had been several intervals where he had nearly fainted. If it had not been for the men holding him up, he might have as well collapsed on the floor. But through sheer willpower, he managed to stay lucid and aware of the on-goings._

 _The moment Victoria spotted Ross, she marched right up to him and gestured to her ailing husband. "Save him."_

 _"I beg your pardon?" he asked, confused. He had an inkling of what the British queen wanted, but so far, only a select few knew of his healing abilities, so how did Queen Victoria know of this? Unless… He peered over her shoulder to see the four princes looking rather guilty._

 _"My older sons told me of how you saved their youngest brother," Victoria explained, her tone firm and commanding. "Now I order you to do the same for my husband."_

 _Upon hearing her words, Ross burned with anger. When he had healed Leopold of his hemophilia after a hiking trip gone awry, it had been a life-or-death situation, and he had asked the younger prince and his brothers to never breathe a word of his secondary abilities to anyone else, to which they promised. As far as anyone knew, Crown Prince Rosenrød of Arendelle merely had fire powers, nothing more, nothing less. But now, they had broken his trust by revealing this secret to their mother._

 _"Heal him!" the British Queen shouted, grabbing Ross by the arm. "Did you not hear me?"_

 _Ross drew back in response, a retort hot on his tongue only for it to die down when he looked into her eyes; for behind the imperious countenance and impatient demands was not a cruel, power-hungry tyrant, but that of a desperate, anxious, grief-stricken yet devoted spouse who wanted nothing more than to save her beloved's life._

 _Though she had done him wrong, Ross could not find it in himself to hate the woman. If anything, at that very moment he pitied her. For a moment it was as if her pain was his, to the point that he could not help but silently cry for her. He could see that the love and devotion she had for her husband rivaled, perhaps even surpassed that of his own parents. The only difference was that Albert was still alive, whereas Hans had been long dead._

 _Nodding wordlessly, he allowed Victoria to lead him to Albert's bedside, where he could see the Prince Consort gasping and groaning as he clutched at his lower abdomen – exactly where Ross had felt the pain._

 _From what he could glean, he had the ability to feel the pain of others, be it physical or emotional, but how he was doing so, Ross did not know. As far as he knew he only had fire powers and healing tears, the latter of which, he was not too familiar with either._

 _He leaned over Albert as he reflected on the sadness and sorrow felt by the Queen and her sons. As he did, he let it mingle with his own emotions and soon, he began to weep. Large droplets landed on the ailing prince – on his brow, his chest, and his stomach. For a while, nothing happened, but bit by bit, Albert began to relax, and soon he slipped into a restful slumber._

* * *

 _After the encounter with Queen Victoria and her family, Ross was then escorted to one of the castle's guest rooms. Although his ordeal had exhausted him, he found himself unable to fall asleep. He knew that having fire magic was enough to set him apart from most other humans, where was this odd ability to heal with his tears coming from? Furthermore, how was he able to sense the pain of another, both physical and emotional?_

 _He had asked his relatives before, but that proved to be fruitless; his relatives had all pointed out that his magic came from him having Fair Folk blood, but even then that did not explain the nature of his powers. His mother and his godmothers, Aunt Ingrid and Aunt Helga, had told him that he was the first in their family to wield such magic, and even they could not fully explain its source nor that of his other abilities._

 _But in any event, he never used his powers unless he really needed to, and in the case of Prince Albert, it seemed that the healing tears had worked as he too was no longer troubled by stomach pains._

 _Just then someone could be heard knocking at his door._

 _"Come in," Ross beckoned, and it opened, allowing Queen Victoria's four sons – Edward, Alfred, Arthur, and Leopold to enter the room._

 _Upon seeing them, Ross felt his earlier anger return. He was so displeased that he turned away, unwilling to face them. Where was their word of honor? Even if they meant to save their father, how could they have broken his trust to reveal his secret to their mother? If more and more people found out about his healing abilities, the consequences could be dire._

 _For what seemed like an eternity, the four brother princes merely stood there, unsure of what to say. After several more moments of awkward silence, Prince Edward decided to step up. "So…" he began, sounding rather hesitant, "How are you?"_

 _"Fine…" Ross bit out, still not looking at them. But even then, he could not hold a grudge against the British princes. Even though they had broken their oath, it had been done out of familial concern, something that he could relate and sympathize with. "How about your father? How is he faring?"_

 _"He's doing much better now," Prince Arthur replied. "He'll need to stay in bed for a week, but the doctors are expecting him to make a full recovery."_

 _"I see…"_

 _Prince Leopold, who was only eight, was practically beside himself in tears. "Please don't be angry with us!" he wailed, "I warned them not to tell Mother–"_

 _"It's my fault," Edward cut in. "But I had to do it. Father means the world to Mother, and if he were to die, it would destroy her. You can punish me if you want, but leave my brothers out of it."_

 _"Still, it's the principle of things," Ross countered. "There was a reason these powers were kept a secret." He turned to face the Prince of Wales, his expression grave. "Who else knows?"_

 _"Only Mother and the doctors that were present at Father's bedside," Prince Alfred told him. "You don't have to worry," he assured, "Mother had them swear to keep their silence under the pain of death."_

 _"It's the least we can do," Edward added. "You saved our lives from the freak avalanche back then, cured Leopold of his hemophilia, and now, you have shielded our father from going into an early grave. We truly are indebted to you Prince Rosenrød."_

 _"That is beside the point!" Ross argued, whirling at him. "Don't you know how dangerous it is for someone in my position? What if my powers fell into the wrong hands or worse?"_

 _The Prince of Wales was at a loss for words. "I… I'm sorry. I just wanted to save my father."_

 _"Fine… I'll forgive you this time," Ross replied, his furious expression softening. He sucked in a deep, cleansing breath. "But next time, just send an invite instead kidnapping me."_

* * *

 _Despite a rough arrival, Ross wound up enjoying his stay in Britain. Both Victoria and Albert, and their children had been more than grateful with his actions, and spared no expense and effort in making his stay as comfortable as possible._

 _To allay his mother's fears, he had sent her letters, photographs, and postcards of his tour across the United Kingdom. From Balmoral to Kent, he pointed out that he was treated hospitably by the British royals, and that he had secretly left home in hopes of adventure. The latter bit was a lie of course, something that tugged at Ross' guilt, but his mother's reaction would have had been far worse had she learned that he had been kidnapped._

 _When he finally returned to Arendelle, he had received an earful from her and his aunts and uncles. Despite the numerous missives he had sent, reassuring them that all was well, none of them were particularly happy that he had disappeared with nary a word. Consequently, he was grounded for the entirety of the year. It wasn't a particularly pleasant experience, and from it, he had learned to be more aware of his surroundings to avoid a repeat incident._

* * *

 ** _Back to the present…_**

And just as it had been back then, here he was again, out about town, pushing his produce cart. And just like before, he sensed a presence. But instead of soldiers hiding in the shadows, this time he was accosted by his cousin Thomas, along with several other high-born young men.

One of the young lords sniffed at him disdainfully. "Off to feed the masses, _Your Highness_?"

"Naturally," Ross replied with a stern glare of his own. "They're the lifeblood of our nation." He tried to push past them only to have his path blocked.

"Must you really associate yourself with the riffraff?" asked another nobleman. "It really is unbecoming of someone of your standing."

"Agreed!" said a third. "Mother would positively die of shame if she saw me doing what you do."

"Regardless, it is a noble's duty to protect and look after the those under him," Ross retorted. "The food on our tables are a testament of their loyalty. They toil for us, they fight for our country, the taxes they pay are what line our coffers. It's only fair that we should give back to them, no matter how little!"

Unfortunately, his words fell on deaf ears and was met with derisive laughter. "Honestly, dear cousin," scoffed Thomas, "Do you really believe such nonsense?"

Ross felt his face heat up with annoyance. "And what do you care?"

"Rosenrød, I'm serious! This has gone far enough! You are the Crown Prince of Arendelle, it's high time that you associate yourself with those of your standing!" Thomas shouted. "Do you know how embarrassing it is to see you debase yourself to serve the unwashed masses? To cavort with them? To be _seen_ with them?"

"It was once said that one must serve before he can lead, and I am doing just that. If you don't like it, that's your problem."

"Can't you see that they're expendable?"" Thomas pushed on, "You and I both know that ultimately it's the nobles who matter."

His cousin's callous statement disgusted Ross to his very core. "Why? Because of their titles? Their wealth? Their authority?" he spat. "You do realize the moment they lose all that, they'll be no different than anyone else."

"Ross, they have the power and the bloodlines. They–"

"Are the minority," Ross cut in. "As the Crown Prince and future king, it is my duty has to take care of everyone, not just a select few. You and I are family, but in my eyes, so are the inhabitants of this kingdom. The state of the nation is the reflection its leaders, and to do that, we need to support each other for the betterment of our people. What say you, Cousin?"

However, Thomas remained silent. Levelling a cold glare at his cousin, he turned on his heel and left with his fellow lords.

Ross heaved a dejected sigh. Despite their clashing ideologies and the frigid treatment he received from the older boy, he still clung to the hope that Thomas would come to his senses and once again return to being the kindhearted older brother of his childhood. But given the state of things, it seemed very, very unlikely.

* * *

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Authors note:**_ _ **Don't be fooled for nothing is what it seems! Now things are getting serious as lines will be drawn. But that is all I will say, for now I hope you all enjoy it and please review and stay tuned for the next chapter.  
**_

 _ **Fun fact: Sadly Queen Victoria always blamed her eldest for Alberts sickness and death, always letting him know what she though, though its actually likely he died from either kidney failure or Crohns disease, Crohns disease being the most likely in my course in this au he is cured. Leopold suffered from hemophilia, yes in this au he is cured, but the disease is still there, he is just a carrier now, not a sufferer. The healing is all part of the duality of Ross power, he can destroy yet at the same time he can heal...  
**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**Authors note: Hi, hope your all staying safe out since it seems that the virus will be here to stay for a while. I also apologize for not updating as I have not had time to update it due to work and such.  
**_

 _ **Any way, enough of me blabbering, hope you all enjoy this new chapter and please leave a review when done as your opinions mean a lot.  
**_

* * *

What is the difference between an object and a person? The answer is quite easy, objects do not move, they do not feel, are used to show off... a person feels, moves, lives...

At the moment Ross felt like an object as he was dragged into his bathroom, once there he was stripped and pushed into a bath.

Gasping Ross moved his hair to see only to have water poured into his hair followed by soap and other cleansing liquids followed by him being scrubbed from top to bottom.

This was embarrassing to Ross as he was not an infant, he more than capable of bathing himself.

When washed he was gestured out of the bath and dried followed by servants rubbing liquids that smelled good into his body before he was given a shirt followed by the rest of his clothes.

As he was dressed against his will he noticed the clothes were white, not ivory, not off white, but pure snow white with silver thread embroidery on it.

When dressed he was sat on a chair where his hair was combed and styled to perfection.

After what seemed like forever Ross was presented to his mother and the court, upon entering the court they began to whisper among one another. Ross felt his skin turn red as he was presented.

The rest was a blur as he was led to an open carriage where he and his mother sat and were paraded around town where people had gathered to view the parade.

They were taken around town, all the while cheers were heard as they passed through.

Stopping at the center of the town Ross and his mother were ushured out and walked to the center where they spent a good time greeting the people.

But by greeting Elsa did all the greeting while Ross was forced to spend time smiling and standing, not moving at all as he clearly heard the people talking.

"How fast has he grown" said one,

"I know, seems only yesterday when he was just a baby" said another agreeing "Now look at him, grown so handsome",

"Just like his father" said another agreeing,

"I agree, the two look so alike" said another.

Ross frowned as he heard the conversation turn, they all spoke about and his father or rather how much he reminded them of the late consort.

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" he soon heard, looking he was quick to recognize one of the ambassadors of Germany. Walking over he greeted the queen and then turned to Ross before saying "My my how your son has grown",

"Yes, he has" said Elsa with a smile,

"He looks like his father, bet he is very much like his old man in character" he continued,

"He is, sometimes its like my husband has never left me" said Elsa sadly.

To that Ross was barely able to hold back a sad sight when other people walked closer, doing over exaggerated gesture to shield their eyes and exclaim "There is no prince like our own, surely with such beauty our queen has given birth to bauldr himself",

"Don't be ridicules! He is much nore beautiful than Bauldr or any god, surely his beauty surpasses any of those" said another.

This made Ross more and more uncomfortable to the point that when it was time to go Ross was more than ready as he was done being shown off like he was some doll to display.

Getting into the carriage Ross and his mother went back to the palace, Ross more than exhausted from pretending to be happy when he was not.

* * *

Opening the door of his room Ross sighted in relief as he closed the door behind him as it he really needed a bit of alone time now. Looking down he frowned as he remembered that his door had no lock in it so any privacy he has was little to non.

He had asked for a lock but his mother strictly prohibited him from getting one and no matter how hard he tried there was no changing her mind about it.

Shaking his head to that he made his way to the desk he sat down, in front of him was a leather bound book, which had been an old gift from his aunt Ingrid. Of course it was not just any book, it was enchanted, no matter how much he wrote the book would never run out of pages.

Which he wrote a lot as he has had this book since he was 4 years old.

Originally he used it to practice his writing and drawing which back then was extremely sloppy as both consisted of squiggly lines and sometimes that could be either stick people or animals. Comparing them and now he liked to say he vastly improved as his writing was now neat and tidy and he developed a drawing style based on the old norse paintings and drawings he had seen in old books and would use watercolors and charcoal pencils for it.

He was not as good as his aunt rapunzel, but though his technique was good enough.

Opening the book he flipped the pages till he found an empty one and began to write about the days events. Which was a habit he had started when young, seeing as sometimes somethings are better left unsaid. So to get it out of his chest he wrote about it in the book, his more private thoughts he would write them in rune language which he learned thanks to Grand Paddie and draw around them to make people think it was part of the drawing design, it was simple yet effective as he wanted certain thoughts to be private... such as the one he was writing currently.

"Sometimes I think that the only way I will be free is when either me or my mother die. Mother I know everything you do is because you love me, but I am suffocated because of it, I am trapped in a cage which only you have the key, will you not let me go?"

When finished he drew around it, putting the runes in a frame styled in the old norse style while in the center he drew a picture of hela in her throne of bones...

Funny how Hela looked like his mother, he noted.

When done he painted it ever so carefully, using a lot of dark colors such as grays, dark blues and blacks before putting his brush down to admire his work.

Satisfied Ross moved to close the book but the pages flipped till they coincidentally stopped in a page that had a drawing of his father.

Starring at it Ross felt emotions go all over the place. It never failed to make him feel that way. He felt torn between sadness, anger even a bit of hatred.

Suddenly Ross grew tense when he heard the door open.

Looking back he relaxed a bit when he saw it was Lars, who was having a hard time trying to get through the door for some reason.

Getting up Ross asked "Need a hand?" as he closed his journal and pushed the chair back in its place.

"No, I got it" said Lars as he strained before he offed and managed to get through the door. Though the gesture caused the items he had been trying to pull through the door to scatter everywhere.

"Wow!" yelled Ross as he jumped out of the way just in time to narrowly avoid hitting a box.

"Sorry... gifts" said Lars as he put a cage he managed to hold unto down unto the ground and adjusted his glasses "Their gifts from the royalty, nobility and gentry",

"I figured they were" said Ross softly, almost sadly as he and Lars began to gather and put the presents in a neat pile on the ground.

As they did that Ross sighted yet again as he knew what these gifts were... he was not stupid. These gifts were bribes.

Noticing Ross silence Lars hoped to bring a smile to his nephews face and said "Your plan is working, everybody has forgotten the past and has welcomed you to high society, these gifts are proof of it".

"Yes" sighted Ross before going back to his desk. Smile dimming Lars walked over and asked "Whats wrong?",

"Nothing..." Ross mumbled as he did not want to speak about what bothered him, not that they would understand. No matter how many times he tried nobody seemed to listen, it was as if what he said did not matter. Its always the same thing "Why are you so sad? Your a prince!", "How can you not be happy? Have we not given you everything you wanted?", "Look at your room, your clothes, the food you eat, you have everything people could ever ask for",

"Everything... that is attached with strings... I am nothing more than a glass doll for you all to dress up and show off" though Ross sadly.

"Ross, whats wrong? You can tell me" promised Lars as he walked over and placed a hand on Ross shoulder,

"I have told you, but neither you or the rest of my family listens" though Ross as he leaned against his hand,

"Come on Ross, tell me, I will not judge or tell" continued Lars, pressing for info,

Shaking his head Ross took a break but before he could say anything else there was a chirp. Turning he saw that among the gifts was a cage, inside said cage was a eurasian blue tit bird, it was found in Norway and Ross had seen it more than a couple of times, but regardless it was a very pretty bird.

The bird itself was inside an iron cage whoes dark metals made the blue color of the bird seem more intense, yet for Ross it was depressing to look at.

Noticing Ross attention turn to the bird Lars smiled and said as he walked over and grabbed the cage "You know, this bird deserves a much better cage" turning he walked back to Ross and handed him the cage "Hows about I get a prettier cage for you to keep it in?"

Ross remained silent as he took the cage, its full attention on the bird as he held the cage.

Seeing that he was not going to get an answer Lars cleared his throat and said "I will leave you alone then" with that he left the room, closing the door behind him.

Once Lars left Ross placed the cage down on his desk, putting his head in his arms, using his arms as a pillow he watched the bird flitter around the cage for a good while before saying softly "I know how you feel"

Before opening the cage and placing his hand in. It was a little while before the bird landed on his hand, maybe drawn there by a calming aura. Getting up Ross held the bird gently as he walked over to the window, opening it he held out his hand, the bird chirped a couple of times before flying away towards the sky, Ross watched the bird fly off till he could no longer see it before closing the window of his room as for a moment he felt jealous of the bird for being able to fly off to freedom.

Turning he almost jumped when he found Fenrir in front of him.

"Fenrir" said Ross holding a hand to his chest, Fenrir whined, his ears cocking,

"What is it?" asked Ross curious, bending his head the wolf made Ross turn his hand before dropping something on his hand.

A ball? A ball of gold? And a book Ross had never seen before.

Curious Ross look over both items, curious and a bit confused while Fenrir looked pleased.

Putting the gold ball aside Ross turned to the book and opened it to reveal it was empty.

"Empty" though Ross puzzled before he heard something, it was Snehvide.

"Will figure it out later" said Ross held the items close.

Fenrir whined at him, placing a hand on the wolfs furry neck Ross pressed his head against the wolfs head before saying "Fenrir... at times I feel your the only one who truly cares about me...", to that Fenrir whined and licked his face as if saying "Thats not true",

"Yes it is" said Ross sadly "All they care and want is my father, not me...", Fenrir whined again.

Ross just wrapped his arms around the wolfs neck and buried his head against its fur. The warmth brought him comfort, soothing his mind and depression, even if it was just for a little bit.

Laying on the ground Fenrir let Ross cling unto him. Curling up against the wolf Ross felt at peace.

Suddenly a knock on the door interrupted this, lifting his head and looked at the door, Ross followed his vision to the door when he heard Kai call "Your majesty, dinner is ready".

Sighting Ross got up and said "Let the torture begin"

* * *

Dinners were never meant to be awkward, they were supposed to bring families closer, but instead Ross felt like he was brought in front of a firing squad.

For now everything was calm, like the calm before the storm as they all ate and chatted.

Looking down at his plate Ross frowned, it was farikal, traditional mutton dish, it was his fathers favorite.

Poking it with a fork Ross felt his appetite leave him, he hated mutton with a passion, he had told his family over and over as it made his stomach sick.

He moved the meat aside and ate the potato and cabbage in the dish before reaching for a kumbla.

"Ross finish your plate" he heard his mother say, looking he saw her frowning "You know every food you waste is food that some family is not able to eat",

"I know" said Ross sadly, giving in before forcing the meat into his mouth, when finished his stomach began to flip flop as the heavy meat made his stomach sick.

"You know I was thinking, maybe you should join Thomas and go to the Duke of York royal military school , there are some programs which would interest you" suggested Caleb,

"Well I-" began Ross wanting to voice his opinion but was cut off by Daniel who said "Yes, thats a good school and as I recalled your father went there when he was young",

"Thats true, he did go there before deciding to enlist" said Elsa as she nodded,

"I got to admit that place did wonders, maybe a year or two there will whip you up into shape" said Thomas as he looked at Ross,

"But I already-" began Ross again, this time his voice had a pleading sound as he begged for somebody, anybody! To listen to what he had to say, but there was nobody as everybody began to chatter,

"That school is rather demanding, maybe we should increase your time in your studies, I can make a plan, more history, politics" listed Lars "Your father was very good at those",

"Yes and work out more, maybe I can talk to our captain and have you train with the troops for a bit" interrupted Jurgen,

"Get lots of tutors, you really have a long way to go if you plan on following your fathers foot steps" said Theresa.

Ross just sat there shocked, stunned into silence as his family went on and on.

Brave like his father, strong like his father, smart like his father...

Like his father...

Just like his father...

Ross began to shake as his body completely rebelled against that idea. How could they be like that?! How could they expect him to be like his dead father?

"Ross" said Kristoff worried as he, Snehvide and Anna noticed how their nephew began to shake, his eyes grew shiny with unshed tears.

"Elsa I think you should let Ross decide what he wants" said Anna hoping to speak some reason into Elsa and the rest of the family even Fenrir tried as he nudged Elsa and pulled on her skirt trying to get her attention and in his way try to get her to stop as Ross power began to react to his anger causing the wine and drinks they were having to bubble and boil as Ross though... no...

He did not though... he screamed in his head over and over.. He is not his father! He will never be his father!

"While we are at it, why don't we let Ross wear some of his fathers clothes for his birthday ball? Doubt they will fit him since he has large shoes to fill" said Thomas...

That was the straw that broke the camels back...

"NO!" yelled Ross as he stood up angrily and slammed his fist into the table, his power caused his fist to light up with flames. Once they made contact with the table it was incinerated in a matter of seconds, leaving nothing but ashes.

"Rosenrod!" yelled Elsa as she turned to her son, shocked at the sudden outburst he had. But before anybody could say anything he screamed "I am not my father!",

"Of-",

"Shut up and let me talk!" Yelled Ross causing them to gasp as he had never talked back to them like that, but before anybody said anything Ross continued to scream "Its always what you all want! I always do what you tell me to! What about what I want!?",

"Ross you have to understand we-",

"Oh I do understand!" yelled Ross, the area around him getting hotter and hotter, he was so angry and it showed "You all don't want me! You just want my father back! Thats what you all want!",

"What? No we-",

"Lies! Its always like your father! Like your father! Thats all I hear day in and day out! I don't want to be my father! I want to be my own person! Is that too much to ask?!" screamed Ross,

"Ross is not what you think, we just want whats best for you" tried Lars to calm him down, all in vain,

"No! You all just want my father! If you all had to choose between him and me you would all choose him over me" continued Ross,

"Rosenrod! You stop this at once! I don't know where you got this idea! But it will stop right now!" scolded Elsa angrily,

"You right! It will stop! One way or another! I am here! My father is not! If you all don't stop then prepare to loose me to!" yelled Ross before he turned around and left, ignoring the yells of his family, as he left he was followed by Fenrir while the family stayed behind in shock of what happened.

* * *

Elsa paced around the office, she was torn between anger and sadness at what happened.

"Elsa, you need to listen to Ross" said Anna sadly as she tried yet again to get her sister to see reason.

"He is just being so difficult!" Said Elsa frustrated,

"Can you blame him? Nobody is listening to what he says and feels" said Anna,

"How do you know? He is not your son" said Elsa frustrated,

"Because I have been there before Elsa" said Anna softly then added "Remember all those years ago? When father was around? When I ran away?".

Elsa though then said "Yes...",

"That is why I know" said Anna as she walked over and hugged her older sister "I know you want whats best, but your going about it the wrong way, what Ross needs is support, somebody to talk to him",

"But I talk to him" complained Elsa,

"But do you listen?" asked Anna as she pulled away and held her hands "Please Elsa, don't make the same mistakes father did... be better than him".

Elsa looked down and frowned as she though back and realized her sister was right. She had been unknowingly hurting Ross... following the same pattern her father did all those years ago...

Letting go Anna turned and left with a smile on her face, she was sure that she had finally managed to get through to her sister.

* * *

Storming into his room Ross slammed the door behind him and rested his back against it as angry tears spilled from his eyes.

There was soft whines before he heard scratching. Wiping his tear a bit Ross turned and opened the door to find Fenrir standing outside, his ears twitching a little as he whined.

Letting him in Ross closed the door as Fenrir lay on the ground, Ross sighted as he too followed, hugging the wolf he rested his head against its fur which he clutch unto.

Tears began to spill again as he whispered "I hate him, I hate him so much", Fenrir cocked his head and whimpered as if saying "Who?",

"My father! Who else! Its all his fault!" said Ross as he began to cry more "If he had not left us this would not have happened! Its because of him I am not allowed to be my own person!", Fenrir whined as if saying "You do not mean that",

"Yes I Do! I wish he was never my father! If he was not then I would not have to reach such high expectations" cried Ross before burying his head into the wolf fur and crying into it.

Fenrir whined and licked the top of Ross head and face, desperately trying to comfort him. Sadly Ross was beyond comfort as he continued to cry and cry. Eventually the young man cried himself to sleep.

Frowning Fenrir nuzzled his head before laying back down, looking at the door. An hour or so passed before it opened and Elsas head popped in.

She looked at Ross and at Fenrir who whimpered sadly and looked at Ross. Frowning Elsa walked over, taking a blanket from Ross bed she placed it over him before letting him sleep.

Turning she left the room, deciding to talk to Ross tomorrow.

* * *

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 _ **Fun fact: Ross suffers from an intolerance to red meat. Of course back then people would not know about allergies and such back then other than sneezing. The symptoms are headaches, stomach cramps, indigestion, bloating and eventually will puke and be miserable with pain and unable to eat due to pain and such. Not the best of feelings...**_

 _ **Authors note: Poor Ross... :(**_ _ **  
**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**Authors note: I am glad that your all loving the story and apologize for the long delay in posting the chapter, hopefully this extra long chapter will make it up to all of you.**_

 _ **For now I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave a review when done, opinions are most welcomed.  
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* * *

Sunlight entered through the room annoucing that a new day had arrived. Groaning a little Ross rubbed his eyes as he slowly got up, looking he saw Fenrir wake up too, he got up and yawned, stretching as he did.

Rubbing his eyes Ross felt that they were all puffy, which was obvious as he had cried himself to sleep.

Suddenly there was another knock at the door, getting up he opened the door to find it was Gretel.

"Your highness, your mother has asked for you to see her in the office" he heard her say,

"Okay, will be there" said Ross softly before turning to Fenrir and saying "Wonder what she will say", with that he got dressed and left with Fenrir.

Passing the hallways he made his way to the office. Arriving he found his mother there, waiting for him. Before he said anything she just walked over and looked at him.

There was silence as she seemed to want to say something but could not before saying "Get ready, today is the festival",

"Oh..." said Ross before he was sent away, as he walked away he stopped, looked back before leaving when he noticed his mother went back to work.

"That was strange" said Ross to Fenrir who shared the same confusion he had as they went to give a final check to the festivals preparations.

* * *

There were times that Thomas felt underappreciated. It was always Rosenrød this and Rosenrød that. Never him. In his eyes, Ross was nothing more than an annoying bumpkin that shadowed him like a lost puppy.

He snorted in disgust. What made his cousin so special anyway? The boy had no regal bearing whatsoever, and yet people flocked to him, pampering him, showering him with presents and praise - all of which should have been rightfully his.

And why shouldn't it be? Compared to Ross, Thomas one of the handsomest princes of the era, and all agreed that no one could ever hold a candle to his beauty. In addition, he was more sophisticated, more mature, a prodigy who excelled in both academia and athletics, and he was far more popular among the kingdom's young maidens than Ross would ever be. Yet, despite all his accomplishments, the spotlight was always on that bumbling redhead and it irked him to no end.

Like now. He was so angry as he remembered what happened yesterday.

Despite the fact that he was careful to fool everybody with his words, his mother was not fooled, she knew what he was trying to accomplish and gave him an earful, telling him how Ross is family, how he should not put Ross down, how he is family and that one should protect family, such and such.

The last she said made him furious. "Sometimes I wish you were more like Ross" she said, his own mother preferred his bumpkin cousin over him!

Growling he breathed as a voice inside his head, the voice which is his friend said "Be patience, you will get what you deserve soon".

Once he was sufficiently cool down enough Thomas left the room and went to the kitchen where he made a pot of tea and set some chocolate in a neat pile, once done brewing he took out a mysterious white mist like liquid, opening the dainty bottle he poured a drop before stopping as if thinking then dumped the entire bottle into the tea inside the tea pot before turning and leaving with the tray of tea and chocolate he had prepared for his aunt.

* * *

Soft, vibrant colors and patterns, such things Elsa liked as she admired the dress she was to wear for dinner. Such frivolities were not always necessary but seeing that she was to join a festival with all the royals of Europe she knew she had to be seen with her best.

Smoothing down the wrinkles of her dress Elsa ran her hand through her hair when she saw Fenrir walk over.

Reaching she stroked the wolves head and fur, moving so he was laying down Fenrir enjoyed the strokes she gave him.

Getting to his neck she sighted as she moved the collar he wore, it was a silk ribbon of purple and green with a large silver medallion with the arendellian crocus on it.

Elsa had it made as both she and Ross feared that if Fenrir had nothing to separate him from other creatures he would be shot to death.

Which was happening more often since now wolf cubs were now looked as sadly everybody wanted to emulate the royals... even if they have no idea that wolves were not pets and that Fenrir was different.

So many cubs were left orphaned before laws came to effect to stop it. Luckily Fenrir was more than good enough to foster the wolf cubs till they were old enough and knowledgeable enough to take care of themselves.

Even though their wild Elsa had noticed the wolves Fenrir raised were much more docile and less likely to attack or anything.

When done she got up and said "Your good Fenrir", he whined as she went over to the tea tray Thomas had prepared for her.

Fenrir whined louder and nipped at her dress, tugging.

"Fenrir enough" scolded Elsa as she ate some chocolate and downed the cup of tea which she served herself. Fenrir grew louder in his protest, trying to stop her but she drank another cup before Fenrir restored to knocking the table down.

"Fenrir! Bad wolf!" yelled Elsa, Fenrir whined in protest but before Elsa could say anything else she heard a commotion outside.

* * *

Night had fallen and the festival was set to happen, so Ross got himself ready in his more formal clothes to attend.

Once groomed and dressed he left the room and walked down the hall only to notice something.

When he passed the hall where the glass case with his fathers gloves. Thomas had opened the case and was taking the gloves.

Yes he was angry at his father, he had said he hated his father, but the truth was that he did not hated his father or was mad at him. He was just frustrated with the situation that he had been born into.

Now that he was calm and looking back he did regretted saying that he hated his father as he was sure his father did not want this for him.

Seeing Thomas touching the gloves Ross was less than pleased as he walked over to Thomas and asked "What are you doing?", Thomas seemed a bit startled but turned to face Ross, gloves in hand and said "Oh Ross, I did not see you there",

"Thomas, please put the gloves back" said Ross as calmly as possible as he did not want to cause a scene,

"This?" said Thomas as he held the gloves then patting them before saying "You know these gloves are too nice not to be used and they would look good on me, don't you agree" as he proceeded to try and put on the gloves only to wince. Tugging and pulling he tried to put on the gloves but was unable to as the gloves has suddenly shrunk so they would not fit on Thomas.

"Fit you stupid garment" growled as Thomas tried to force the gloves on but was unable to.

Extending his hand Ross ignore what was said before saying "Give it back?",

"Why? Surely such magnificent gloves would be soiled on you" said Thomas giving up on putting them on and holding them away from Ross,

"Their my fathers" said Ross firmly,

"Their too good even for him, he was a dusty servant after all" said Thomas.

Upon hearing that Ross felt fury enter his system, how dare his cousin say that?! His father is not a dusty servant! He never was! He was an admiral! Before that he was a count who then rose the rank of Coronas nonles to become a grand duke then later on consort king to his mother!

Ross could forgive a lot of things, but mess with his family and he would not hold back.

Before Ross could unleash his anger and give his cousin a taste of it Thomas threw the gloves at him. Ross reacted and caught them, looking over them he was relieved to find that the gloves were okay.

Turning his anger unto Thomas Ross was ready to teach his cousin a lesson or two but was stopped when he heard "Whats wrong?", turning both Ross and Thomas saw it was Elsa and Fenrir.

Fenrir walked over and place himself between Thomas and Ross as if to separate them and put a boundary between the two in case they decided to fight one another.

Ross fearing his mother would scold him as he was often told that his fathers gloves were never to be touched, but relaxed when he saw that she did not look mad. If anything she looked calm, but the look on her face... he could not place it.

Saying nothing Elsa reached and took the gloves from Ross hands, she looked over the gloves before reaching and taking his left hand. Before Ross could explain and complain about Thomas Elsa gently slipped one of the gloves into Ross hand. It slipped on, fitting perfectly, as if it was tailored to fit him.

Ross looked puzzled and even shocked as he stared at his now gloved covered hand then turned to his mother.

The look on her face changed... and it scared him.

"Mother" said Ross a bit frightened.

Elsa said nothing, a small smile spread across her face, silently she reached and stroked his face before leaving just as mysteriously as she appeared.

Leaving Ross and Thomas baffled... albietly for different reasons while Fenrir looked on in worry.

* * *

In the Arendellian capital of Christiana, the Midsummer's Festival was now in full swing. Booths and stall stocked with a large assortment of foodstuff and other goods lined the city square, and alcohol flowed freely. Locals and visitors alike ate and drank to their hearts' content, whilst others skipped and dance to the music provided by the Royal Arendelle Orchestra.

It was also one of the few times that Arendelle Castle opened its gates; and for the next few nights, it was to remain so. It had even become a cosmopolitan affair as shown by the nobles and aristocrats who had gathered from all across Europe to attend the celebration and show their goodwill.

When Ross first proposed to lead the planning committee for that year's celebrations, Elsa had her doubts. However after seeing the preparations he had done, she had to admit that he had certainly outdone himself.

As always, the highlight of the festival was the ceremonial bonfire, held right in the center of the city square. Spectators whooped and whistled as Prince Thomas led the bonfire dance with his partner Victoria, the Princess Royale of Great Britain. Their movements were impeccable, graceful, and precise as they leapt and twirled to the tune of an Arendellian summer round. When the two royals finished their dance, they were showered with flower garlands tossed by the adoring audience.

Without a doubt, they made for a handsome couple. Princess Victoria –or Vicky as she was more commonly known– was a great beauty, much like her mother and namesake before her; and Thomas had grown up to be considered as "the comeliest man in all of Europe". Of course, much to the consternation of the young bachelors, Vicky was already engaged to Crown Prince Frederick, the German Kaiser's son. Likewise, to the dismay of the eligible maidens, Thomas seemed to be rather uninterested in settling down.

Just as they were making their way back to the dignitaries' box, Thomas spotted Ross walking amongst the throng. His lips twisted into a faint yet mean-spirited smirk. A situation like this definitely was the perfect opportunity to humiliate his cousin. Ross might have been able to play the gracious host, but as far as Thomas knew, the younger prince clearly lacked the finesse to outclass him in the art of dance.

"Your turn, Cousin!" he called, waving Ross over.

The auburn-haired prince did a double take. That certainly got his attention. "Wait, what? What do you mean 'my turn'?"

"As the host, you were supposed to lead the dance, but seeing that it was I who did, now that's just poor etiquette, don't you think?" Thomas clicked his tongue in disapproval. "And here I thought you wanted to put your best foot forward."

"Thomas! That's not very nice!" Vicky chided.

"Come now, a little bit of tough love never hurt anybody," Thomas told her, "Besides, our Ross is man now, he can take it. Right, Cousin?"

Ross felt his cheeks heat up at Thomas's words. Though the older prince maintained a jovial tone as he spoke, there was something patronizing and condescending about his words. However, he wasn't going to take the bait and put his dignity at risk. "You know I don't–"

"CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!" Snehvide cut in, point her finger right in Thomas' face. "Today's the day you'll eat your words, Big Brother!" She took Ross by the wrist and led him to the center of the courtyard. "C'mon Ross, let's show ol' Tommyboy what you're really made of!"

All this time, Ross could feel his chest growing tight. "Snehvide, I don't think I can. Everyone's watching us."

"Stuff and nonsense!" she told him, "I didn't practice with you just to see you clam up. Just trust me on this, I'm with you all the way."

As Ross took his position alongside Snehvide, he could not help but remember the disastrous chain of events that transpired at that fateful ball ten years ago. The memory of him humiliating himself and the Bulgarian princess was still fresh in his mind. Worse still, it had also been the last time that he and Thomas were on good terms.

Still had to try. For his sake, he had to move forward and show everyone once and for all how much he had improved.

Snehvide put her hand in Ross' gloved one. "Are you ready?"

He nodded in response, and the orchestra began to play.

However, unbeknownst to Ross and Snehvide, Thomas had snuck over behind the bandmaster and bribed him to lead the band to play something more melancholy.

Snehvide's heart nearly stopped upon hearing the unfamiliar tune. All this time she and Ross had been practicing to the merry, vivacious steps of the summer rounds, and neither of them were particularly well-versed in slow dancing. She cast an alarmed look towards Ross, but much to her surprise, he did not seem to be the least bit worried.

He gently took her hand and using his emotions to guide him and Snehvide, Ross managed to match their steps to the tune. their figures meshed well with the flickering flames in an alluring interplay of light and shadow. The spectators by the sidelines were completely awestruck. Though Ross and Snehvide's moves were not as elegant as that of Thomas and Vicky's, everyone agreed that their dance was just as impressive.

However, what really caught the audience's attention was how they poured their emotions into their dance. Without even uttering a single word, they were able to voice their thoughts, hopes, and desires. Each step, each sway spoke of their joy, their sorrow, their frustration, their triumph.

Just then in the middle of the dance, something very peculiar began to take place. Ross's powers had always been tied to his emotions, and as he and Snehvide immersed themselves into the music, the gas lamps that kept the courtyards lit suddenly snuffed out, leaving the bonfire as the sole source of light. Then much to the shock of the spectators, little tongues of flames rose up from the bonfire and into the night sky surrounding the two cousins like forest of candles.

However, that was just the beginning. As the music swelled, the flames began to sway and bend, burning brighter and brighter as if it was following the dancers' movements, and when the music finally reached its crescendo, the bonfire flared up, shrouding Ross and Snehvide in a fiery curtain.

The audience gasped and shrieked, recoiling in fear. "Snehvide!" Kristoff cried, worried for his little girl. He was about to jump into the fire, jacket and all when a saw a flash of blue. He turned to see Elsa conjuring up a mass of snow to put out the flames, but before either of them could move further, the fire died down and Ross and Snehvide emerged unharmed.

And with one final spin, they finished their dance and the wisps gently wafted back into the bonfire like autumn leaves falling from a tree.

For a moment, all was still, as the audience stared in shock at the beauty they had just witnessed. Then there was a clap, followed by another, and yet another, and it did not take long before everyone to erupt in thunderous applause.

"Ross, that was amazing!" Snehvide gushed, still giddy from the intensity of their performance.

"It was?"

"Yes!" she replied with a vigorous nod. "I never knew you could dance like that. The crowd loves you."

He cracked a nervous grin. "To be honest, even I didn't know I could. I really was just–"

But before Ross could say anything else, he was mobbed by a gaggle of young ladies, all whom were eagerly thrusting flower garlands into his face.

"Oh my stars, it's Prince Rosenrød!"

"Dance with me, Your Highness!"

"No, me!"

He turned to Snehvide with a pleading look on his face. "Help," he mouthed, only to have her push him further into their midst.

"Trust me," she grinned as they dragged him away. "You'll thank me later for this. Knock 'em dead, Casanova!"

Despite himself, Ross couldn't help but grin back. For once, he had proven himself to be capable, and the sea of happy faces around him was proof of that. Best of all, when he passed by his mother, he could see her looking at him of a sense of pride.

' _Mission accomplished_.'

* * *

 _ **The next night:**_

Loud fireworks and colors lit the night sky as carriages from all walks of life made their way to Arendelle castle.

Truly it was a remarkable scene as food and wine was served, people in costumes danced and cheered. Never in a long time had there been such happiness, it was as if the scene had come to live straight out of a fairytale.

Standing before the mirror Ross finished getting ready. Turning around he looked at Snevhide who was dressed as a valkery and asked "What do you think?".

Ross was dressed in fur and viking gear, he had chosen to wear a loki costume.

After some silence Snevhide grin and said "Looking good cousin" then frowned "Think your mother would approve?",

"I hope so, I really wanted a change in costume" said Ross, back then he always wore what his mother told him, usually it was always knights or costumes based on heroes of different periods, except that one time she let him wear a costume based on a wolf. So he hoped this was good.

There was a knock on his door,

"Yes?" asked Ross, opening the door Caleb looked as if saying something then frowned upon seeing what Ross was wearing.

"Ross" he began,

"Yes?" asked Ross, notiving the look, frowning Caleb asked "Is that your costume?",

"Yes, I am dressed as Loki" said Ross rather eager,

"Yes I see that but..." he paused and said "Maybe you can get dressed as something else".

"Why?" asked Ross mentally sighting as he knew what was coming.

"Loki is not befitting and surely... you would be happier dressed as something else" said Caleb,

"Like what? A knight? Some dead prince? Some hero that you all want me to be?" Ross could not help but bite out.

At that Caleb flinched and then composed himself and said "Change, I will not allow you to go out dressed like some murderer"

Angry yet bottling it up Ross walked out of the room without saying a word.

"Jerk" muttered Snehvide as she also went to leave,

"Don't call your cousin that!" scolded Caleb, to which she turned, glared at him angrily before saying "I was not talking about Ross" then left.

At that Calebs eyes widen as he realized Snehvide was calling him a jerk. He opened his mouth to scold her but she had already left leaving him alone, feeling less than happy about her words.

* * *

 _ **Ballroom:**_

Standing outside Ross waited with his arms crossed. He had not changed out of his costume as he for once decided to rebel against his uncles wishes.

When announced he walked in, his anger helped disguise any nervousness he felt as he walked over to his mother with poise and confidence.

Sitting on the throne was his mother, she was dressed as Freya, sitting at her feet was Fenrir, whom he was always glad to see.

Once Ross was standing next to her the ball commenced after Elsa gave a wave of her hand.

The rest of the ball was a big bore to Ross but he did not let it show as he helped entertain guest or danced.

Though dancing was what he mostly did as it seems that a long line of people, eligible princesses as he noted, had wanted to dance.

Every now and then there was small talk, but nothing new or exiting as Ross could easily predict what was going to be said.

"Oh your the princess of this, yes lovely night, no I have not seen you before" it was what Ross would say.

It was just so fake, rehearsed, nothing meaningful or deep.

"Loki, so fitting, isn't that right?" Ross heard as he turned to face Thomas who spoke loudly while looking at the nobles and royals who gathered in the dance floor.

Some snickered due to all the alcohol consumed and others like Arthur, Leopold, Edward, Elios, Lunette and such looked rather tense.

"I still cannot believe we used to be friends with him" Arthur quietly whispered to Edward no discreetly nodded in agreement.

Knowing everybody was listening Thomas continued "Loki was also the god of fire right? God of destruction or at least who brought destruction... wonder what does that say about you Ross considering you have fire power",

"Fire is more than just destruction Prince Thomas" said Ross somehow able to hold back the hiss threatening to come out. He was not about to give Thomas the satisfaction of seeing his plan be ruined.

"Is that so? Hard to believe that as every single fire being is evil" continued Thomas as he walked over in poise "There is Lucifer, Loki, the fire giant of Rangarock, the list goes on, tell me one being of fire who has not represented evil and destruction".

To this Ross was barely able to hold back a laughter, in fact he almost could not believe that Thomas set himself up that way. It was just too perfect to be true.

"Maybe the stars are aligning for me tonight" though Ross as he gave a mysterious smile which made made raise their eyes in questioning.

Saying nothing Ross walked over to the center of the room and stood there. Though he did not say or speak people stared in anticipation as they knew something was about to happen.

Remaining quiet Elsa and Fenrir leaned over, both wanting a closer look to what they knew was going to happen... what was it they did not know... but something was going to happen...

Turning around Ross began to spin over and over as he did fire began to scorch the bottom of his clothes. He continued to spin allowing the flames to scorch and burn the loki costume he was wearing till it was nothing but ashes to reveal the outfit it was hiding something.

As the flames consumed the outfit Ross let it burn as the flames embraced him with his warmth. He ran his hand through his hair and face before he stopped, facing the shocked crowd.

He stood before them wearing the most beautiful outfit anybody had ever seen. It was gold and red, the designs mimicking flames decorating the pants and coat of his suit, his face was now had a mask painted on which covered his face to his nose that gave him a bird like appearance. He extended his hands to his side and so did the cape like a bird spreading its wings wide and ready to fly and like wings the cape was design to look exactly like bird wings, it even was made out of feathers which were red and gold.

After a while people began to whisper and talk in awe, all amazed at both what they had just witnessed and at the same time guessing what he was supposed to be, but non knew what.

"What are you supposed to be? Some kind of chicken?" said Thomas before laughing in an effort to hide the anger and jealousy he was feeling, for the first time the spotlight was truly on Ross and instead of messing up Ross shone under it.

His laughing only to stop when he realized nobody was laughing at his joke. In fact everybody was too engrossed with Ross as some nobles whispered "I never realized how handsome he was", "I know, I am seeing but I cannot believe it, how could I have not noticed?" whispered a noble lady, this one was the matchmaker and a famous one at that as almost all the nobility and royalty in Europe were given matches thanks to her.

"Come on Ross, your a chicken right? Or a peacock? If you are a peacock then I say its a poor choice since they are such vain creatures" continued Thomas as he hoped somebody would chime in and take his side, but nobody did.

Finally Ross spoke and the answer shut Thomas up for good "The phoenix" he said.

This caused some gasps, especially from Elsa who was taken back to the time of the ball, how could she forget that final night?

With that word the people whispered and nodded, for it was true, the Phoenix was a being of fire which was good, in fact it was the most sought out creature in the world, much like how one searches for salvation in the arms of the Lord.

If Ross wanted to make a strong statement, he succeeded. Even though he spoke little words his choice of outfit conveyed the message for him in more ways than one...

It was truly clever in his part.

With a smile he bowed and returned to his mothers side to oversee the rest of the party and join in on the dances out of politeness and following the rules of being a good host.

After a while Ross grew tired but soon tiredness was replaced with a sense of dread. At first he could not pin point where it was coming from, but after a while he began to notice his mother.

She sat on the throne in silence, her eyes practically glaring holes at him. Her face, never had Ross seen her with such a look, it unnerved him and got worse as he noticed that as the night went by she just kept growing colder and colder the more she saw him dance and interact with guests, specifically when he interacted with female guests.

At first Ross tried to ignore it, but he found himself unable to as his mind kept thinking over and over about the look on her face. He had never seen it before, but the closest he could get was that look you would give to somebody if they were trying to take something which was yours.

But that was nonsense! No mother would ever look her own child like that... right?

The party was halted as it was time to cut the cake. Ross stood by the side as his uncle gave a grand speech about how he is a man and such and how he was destined for greatness.

"Yes sure, I am a man now yet you all don't stop treating me as if I was a child or a glass doll" though Ross sadly before he blew the candles out and cut the cake.

It was chocolate, he hid his disappointment as he had wanted vanilla with almond but said nothing about it as he continued to hide behind that happy facade he had learned to master.

Once the cake was distributed and eaten the party continued for a good while before it ended well past midnight.

Dragging his feet to his room Ross sighted as he was tired of dealing with people for today. Making his way to his room he stopped when he heard light giggles.

At first he though it was Snehvide trying to play a trick on him, so he followed the laughter into a room and came upon a shocking sight.

Wrapped in an embrace he saw Thomas was busy. In his arms he had the royal princess Victoria or Vicky for short, the two were busy kissing as they held one another, her dress was partially unmade exposing her corset while her skirt was hicked up a bit, Thomas himself was disheveled, his coat was thrown to the side and his shirt was unmade partially exposing his chest.

"Thomas!" Ross could not help but shout in shock at what he was seeing. His eyes saw it but he could not believe his cousin had done something so irresponsible and taboo!

Everybody knew that Princess Vicky was bethrode. If anybody found out about this this would spell disaster and war for the house of Solberg.

True Queen Victoria and Albert were indedt to him, but he doubted that all the talking in the world would save them from the scandal and outrage that would follow if anybody found out.

"Ross!" the two yelled as they seperated, Vicky quickly fixed her dress while Thomas composed himself and said "Oh... Ross, don't worry, she is just a friend".

Glaring Ross could not believe what Thomas though he was that stupid and naive so he growled "Looks more than just a friend to me", seeing this Thomas backtracked and said "You would not mind not telling about this",

"I don't know, let me think about it" hissed Ross as he had had enough of Thomas,

"Don't be stupid Ross! Think of the shame you would bring if you told" said Thomas,

"Shame I would bring?! I am not the one who was busy kissing somebody who is going to be married!" Snapped Ross in anger,

"I would not if I was you, I could always say it was you who did and it will be my word against yours" said Thomas slyly "After all... everybody will believe me over you".

Ross glared as the two left, when gone he turned and ran into his room where Fenrir was waiting for him.

Slamming the door closed Ross ran his hand through his hair as he tried to come to terms about what he saw and what he could do.

On one hand he should tell, but on the other he knew Thomas was telling the truth and the consequences scared Ross more than he ever dared to admit.

"How am I going to solve this?" Though Ross as he took shoes off, he looked towards Fenrir looked worried and whined softly.

Forcing another smile Ross walked over and patted the wolf before saying "Oh Fenrir, your the only one that truly cares about me it seems"

Before burying his head on the wolfs fur as he hugged the beast as he though over and over on what to do. Fenrir licked the side of Ross head before laying down on the ground, when he did Ross curled up on the side and fell asleep as he clutched unto the wolves fur for comfort.

* * *

 ** _To be continued...  
_**


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